The Seventh Year
by TheSilverNoble
Summary: During his final year at Hogwarts Neville struggles with the realization of his worst fear when Professor Snape is in charge of Hogwarts. McGonagall does her best to keep her students safe while Draco has reservation about his new allies.
1. Chapter 1: The Final Year

**Chapter One: The Final Year **

The Hogwarts Express lurched forward to draw away from Platform 9 3/4, just as it had so many times before. Neville Longbottom had taken the trip only about a dozen times, a small fraction of the train's total trips, yet it all seemed very familiar to him. The lurch, the whistle, and then he were moving forward. This would be one of the last times he would make the trip.

He watched the platform go by, looking for his Gran. He found her, standing at the end by herself. He waved as he passed, but couldn't tell if she saw him. Then she was gone, along with the rest of the platform, and all the other families seeing their children off.

He slumped back in his chair, alone in his cabin. His truck was stowed under his seat, but besides that his cabin was empty. He had looked to join some of his friends, but didn't see any of them on the platform or on the train. He had seen a flash of red hair getting on the train that might have been Ginny Weasley, but he hadn't been able to find her.

_"I'll go find them later. They must be on the train."_ For now, though, Neville decided to rest. The trip to London had been exhausting. The whole summer had, really. Ever since Scrimgeour had died, Gran had been a lot harder on him than usual.

"Don't you think it was an accident, Neville," He recalled Gran admonishing him. "Mark my words, it was the Death Eaters that did it. I would never in my life have thought Pius Thickness would be one. He never seemed to have any ambition, but it's no coincidence that he replaced Rufus, mark my words, not at all, not at all." Neville didn't want to believe his grandmother's words. Didn't even want to think about them much, but they made too much sense to ignore. It frightened him that the Death Eaters would move so openly, and at such a target. Neville had fought Death Eaters before, but they tended to stay in the shadows. When they came out, it was usually briefly and in disguise. To publicly install one of their own as Minister of Magic- even if they weren't publicly taking credit- was a big step for them.

Ever since then, Gran had fretted over him far more than usual. She wouldn't let him out after night, carefully checked his incoming and outgoing mail, and wouldn't let him take a Portkey unless she made it herself.

"Yes I know it's illegal," Gran snapped when Neville brought this fact up. "But there's more important things at stake here. I'm not going to put you at risk over some law. That's how they killed the Diggory boy, with a Portkey." Neville knew more about that incident than Gran did, but knew arguing with her would be futile.

"They know you're friends with that Potter boy," She'd said another time, as thought it were all Harry's fault. "Don't think they won't come after you, because they will. In a heartbeat. If it weren't mandatory, I wouldn't even let you go to school this year. I'm more than capable of teaching you myself." But then her voice softened somewhat. "You be careful this year, Neville. There will be Death Eaters at the school this year, you can count on it. Keep your head down. Don't give them any reason to notice you. Don't give them a reason to… do… _anything…_"

_"Keep your head down, Neville,"_ Well, that was something Neville could do. Sometimes, he wanted nothing more than to keep his head down, but something always seemed to make him have to stick his head up.

This year would be different though. This year it was far more serious. Neville already heard stories of people being taken, or disappearing. Other stories too, more horrible ones. Mainly Muggle Borns and Half-Bloods, but Neville wasn't foolish enough to think they wouldn't come for a troublesome Pureblood.

Neville must have been thinking for longer than he intended, because the witch with the food cart was knocking on his compartment door. He waved her off. All his thinking hadn't left him with much of an appetite.

Two familiar faces shuffled into view as the witch went down the train. His face lit up as he recognized Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood, two of his good friends. He expected to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione following them, but no one else came.

"Hullo Ginny, Luna," Neville greeted as they walked through the door. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to be seen by you," Luna said dreamily, looking around the cabin. From anyone else, Neville might have wondered if she was flirting with him, but he knew that was just how Luna was. Her long pale hair hung strait down her back like usual, but she only had one of her radish earring in today. A copy of the Quibbler was tucked under her arm. The Quibbler was the only magazine or newspaper Gran read, or allowed Neville to read. He had been of age for several months now, so technically he didn't have to listen to her… but since Neville had no where else to go, he had to live with her and obey her rules.

Ginny, on the other hand, sat down without a word. Neville couldn't resd her expression, but the way some of her red hair drifted in front of her faced suggested anger.

"Ginny? Are you ok?"

"Oh, I'm just lovely, Neville," Ginny snapped. Her expression softened moments later. "I'm…"

"Ginerva has a lot on her mind," Luna put in.

"Don't call me that," Gunny snapped again. "I'm just anxious. I have no idea what this year will be like."

"Do you really think it will be all that different?" Neville asked.

"Of course it will be different!" Neville felt his cheeks grow warm and Ginny's response. "You-Know-Who has taken over the Ministry, Muggle-borns being sent to Azkaban or killed, people are disappearing and they're saying Harry's a criminal! And now Death Eaters are in charge of Hogwarts!"

"What? D-Death Eaters?" Neville stammered. "In charge?" He'd expected something, but for them to be in charge…

"The Carrows are teaching there," Luna explained. "One is teaching Muggle Studies, the other Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Neville actually felt slightly relieved. "So it won't be… it's not Snape this year?" Neville would take any Death Eater over Snape. Well, almost any.

"Snape? Snape's the new Headmaster."

For a moment Neville couldn't speak. Snape? Headmaster? Neville felt lightheaded. After all the grief Snape had given Neville, after all the years, Neville thought it more likely that Snape would get sacked, not promoted. And he…

"He killed Dumbledore!" Neville blurted, his eyes suddenly watering.

"And he's a cruel, biased git," Ginny added, though that seemed to pale in comparison. Yet she sounded so much like Ron as she said that, Neville nearly laughed in spite of everything.

"So where are Ron and the others?" Neville asked, eager to change the subject. He wouldn't worry about Snape any more than he had to.

"We're not really sure," Luna said. "They vanished at Bill and Fluer's wedding, and no one has seen them since!"

"What do you mean, they vanished?" He directed the question at Ginny. As much as he liked Luna, it could be hard to get a strait answer out of her sometimes.

"We got a warning from Kingsley about people coming to the wedding. About the Ministry and Scrimgeour. Harry, Ron, and Hermione Disapparated. I don't know where to." Her expression darkened. "Dad knows where he is, but won't tell me." Neville noticed Ginny had said Harry's name, not Ron's. Years of trying to understand girls told Neville that Ginny really did care about Harry.

When they had first gotten together at the end of the previous year, Neville had felt a little strange. He'd had a crush on her during his fourth year, when they had gone to the Yule Ball together. She met Michael Corner that night, and they had started going out shortly afterwards. Neville had been sad, though he knew from the start Ginny never had feelings for him. And when they broke up, Dean Thomas asked her out after that, but with Harry it was different, he could tell. Harry was actually his friend. He hadn't said anything- what difference would it have made? Besides, it wasn't like he still had feelings for Ginny… it was just still a little weird thinking about it sometimes.

"I'm sure Harry's doing something very important," Luna said. "And he needs to do it in secret."

"He took Ron and Hermione with him," Ginny said bitterly.

"But didn't you two break up last year?" Right away Neville could tell he'd said something wrong. Ginny stared at him, and her face seemed to shift between sadness and anger. Before he or Ginny could say anything, Luna spoke up.

"I suspect he may be in Iceland. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was seen there you know. He's trying to recruit the Crumple-Horned Snorcacks to his side. It's right in here somewhere…" Luna picked up her copy of the Quibbler and began to flip through it. The headline read "Potter On The Run In the North!" and had a picture of some footprints appearing in the snow accompanying it. "My dad has one of their horns you know…" Neville never got to see the article, however, because someone else came into the compartment.

"Well well, if it isn't Potty's friends!" Draco Malfoy hadn't changed at all since Neville last saw him, save that he might look a bit paler than usual. "Longbottom, Looney, and his little girlfriend too! Crabbe and Goyle, hulking behind him, let out several low, guttural laughs.

"Get out, Malfoy," Ginny said. "You're not welcome here."

"I see a spare seat," Draco said. "You can't stop me from sitting where I want."

"I don't think there's enough room for your friends. They're rather large," Luna observed off handedly.

"Maybe you're right. With Longbottom in here, I'm surprised there's room for anyone else!" Crabbe and Goyle roared with laught, and this time they were joined by a high, shriller laugh. Neville saw Pansy Parkinson standing in the hallway. "Come on, we'll stop crowding them." More laugher as Draco and his goons began to walk away. Draco turned to follow, but stopped at the doorway to look at Ginny. "Remember, little Weasal, you don't have any brother to throw me in closet or vomit slugs at me. You're on your own this year."

"I can handle myself, Malfoy," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "And don't you dare let me catch you talking about Harry again."

Draco let out a sharp laugh. "Or you'll do what?" But Ginny already had her want out. Draco backed away and fumbled for his own wand, before stumbling against a large man with a pale, twisted face. Draco looked up and the man and dropped his wand. The tall man looked down at Draco, and then into the compartment.

"Is there a problem here?" His voice, oddly familiar, made Neville think of jagged ice. Draco picked up his hand and turned slightly toward the tall man, but not enough to meet his eyes.

"No, no problem," Draco said quickly. "I was just leaving." Draco stashed his wand and darted down the corridor after his friends. The tall man looked into the compartment once more before closing the door and walking off.

"Did that man seem familiar?" Luna faced the window as she spoke.

"Antonin Dolohov," Ginny said. "I've seen his wanted poster. He's a Death Eater." She paused for a moment. "He killed my mom's brothers."

"I'm sorry…" Neville started, but Ginny interrupted him. He was going to mention Dolohov had broken his nose, but it didn't seem to measure up to the loss of two relatives.

"It's ok. It happened before I was born. I never knew them."

"Oh." Neville looked out the window. For a while they rode in silence. The only sounds came from the train, and Luna flipping pages in the Quibbler, occasionally making marks in it with a quill she produced from behind her ear.

"We need to do something." Ginny finally said. It sounded like she'd been holding it in for a while.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, not looking up from her magazine.

"How are we supposed to just go to school when all this is happening!" Ginny said angrily. "Harry's missing, You- Know-Who's on the move, Death Eaters at Hogwarts and on the train, and they just expect us to act normal! They won't even tell me anything, not Harry, not Dad, not-"

"My father has told you everything he knows," Luna said. For a moment Neville thought Ginny would shout at her, but she held herself back.

"I won't keep any secrets from you, Ginny," Neville said, trying to calm her down. "And look, we had to come here. They would have tracked us down if we didn't. You know what it's been like."

"I know, Neville, I know. I just wish more people would keep me in the loop. I have an idea though," She said.

"You do?" Neville regretted asking right away. Whatever Ginny had in mind, he knew it wouldn't be something nice a quiet. He was supposed to keep his head down, he wasn't supposed to…

"Dumbledore left Gryffindor's sword to Harry in his will," Ginny explained. "Scrimgeour wouldn't let him have it. But it's kept at Hogwarts, in the Headmaster's office. I think… I think we might be able to do something, at least," Ginny said.

Neville didn't want to agree or disagree, so he nodded to himself and said "I wonder why Harry would need the sword?"

"I hear it can shoot lightening," Luna said. "Long ago one of Godric Gryffindor's sons trapped a lightening monster in it. _Elerctificus Hryunculus_."

Neither Ginny nor Neville could think what to say, so they lapsed into silence again. The silence was shorter this time, as Neville saw some distant lights out the window, and soon realized what it was.

"Hogwarts!" He said aloud. Ginny twisted to look at the lights, and Luna scooted closer to the window. Together they watched as the lights grew brighter and brighter. He had seen the sight a number of times, and it always filled him with a sense of both dread and excitement. Both feelings were accentuated this time. It felt more like the time they flew to the Department of Mysteries at the end of his fifth year.

_"Hopefully this year won't end up like that,"_ Neville thought grimly. But with Death Eaters on the train, Death Eaters teaching class, Snape is charge and Harry no where to be found, he wasn't sure how likely that would be.

A few minutes later Ginny and Luna left to change into their school robes. Neville hauled his trunk out from under the seat and did the same. He was pleased to find his robes from last year actually fit slightly better. Gran hadn't let him go to Diagon Alley to get new ones. Gran also wouldn't go out to eat, and only let Neville eat food she had made. As Neville hated her cooking, he only ate enough to get by, and had lost a considerable amount of weight.

He finished dressing just as the train pulled into the station. The corridor quickly filled with students, dragging their trunks and luggage along with them. As he exited the train, he heard the familiar voice of Hagrid calling for first years. His voice was comforting. Not only was it a small dose of normalcy, but Care of Magical Creatures had been one of Neville's favorite classes. He was nice, genuinely nice. Snape had always been mean to him, and he had a feeling that most of the other teachers were indifferent to him, or that they pitied him. McGonagall seemed to believe in him, at least, but she had always been distant. Hagrid seemed more like a friend.

"Neville! Is that you, mate?" Neville turned to see Seamus Finnigan's face face smiling at him. "Blimey, you've lost some weight, haven't you?"

"I guess," Neville said. He was glad to see Seamus, but was distracted by the crowd Seamus had broken away from. He had spent the train ride with Ernie MacMillan, Michael Corner, and Hannah Abbot.

"Well good for you." Seamus clapped him on the back. "You hear? It'll just be the two of us in the room this year."

"Really? How come?"

"Well, Harry's on the run from the Ministry or something," Seamus said. Neville noticed a copy of the Quibbler sticking out of Seamus's robe. "And I heard Ron's taken up with Spattergroit. Not sure if I believe that, mind, I think he's with Harry. But either way he wasn't on the train."

"What about Dean?"

"Dean's on the run, too. He's not too sure about his bloodline, and didn't want to take any chances. I think a cousin of his or something might have been sent to Azkaban. He got an owl out to me, but he couldn't write much."

"Wow." The slight illusion of normality shattered. Suddenly nervous, Neville looked around and started walking toward the thestrals-drawn carriages.

Seamus followed him, and they saw Ginny and Luna climbing into a carriage. They rushed to their carriage and climbed in after them. Seamus said his hellos to Ginny and Luna as he climbed in, then reached to close the door. As he did, Michael Corner appeared, and asked if there was any room.

"Sorry mate, we're all full," Seamus said, and closed the door. "Nice enough fellow, but he rubs me the wrong way, a bit." Ginny made a harrumphing noise that implied agreement. "He joined us about halfway through the train ride. Nice enough, like I said, but…" He trailed off and shrugged. For the rest of the carriage ride, they listened Seamus talk about his summer. He told them about the last time he saw Dean, at his birthday party just over a month ago. Ginny told Seamus several things, but stuck to the story of Ron having spattergroit, and didn't mention anything about Harry's quest or Gryiffindor's sword.

They arrived at the school itself as Ginny finished talking. Luna went to join the other Raveclaws as they filed into the school. Neville saw Michael Corner walk up to her and strike up a conversation before losing them in the crowd. When he looked away, he noticed Ginny had been glaring.

And then they were all shuffled inside, and Neville's last year at Hogwarts officially began.


	2. Chapter 2: Staff Changes

Chapter Two: Staff Changes

**Chapter Two: Staff Changes**

At a glace, the Great Hall seemed normal. Five large tables filled the room, one for each House and an additional one across the front of the room for the teachers. Banners in the House colors hung over each table. Above those, the enchanted ceiling reflected the sky outside, which was currently red and orange with the sunset.

Yet it was still different. The Slytherin banner seemed a little more intricate, and a little brighter than the others. Or was it just a trick of the eye? Did the silence in the Great Hall seem natural, or did it have a specific cause?

The only things clearly different were some of the people sitting at the staff table. Neville spotted the sibling Death Eaters, Amycus and Alecto, easily enough. He wasn't sure which was which, but he was sure he would by the end of the year. And sitting next to them…

Severus Snape did not seem initially out of place, until Neville realized he was sitting in the Headmaster's chair. He got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He did not realize until that moment that he hadn't really thought of that chair as the Headmaster's chair… it was Dumbledore's chair. It had always been Dumbledore's chair. It looked like it had been made for him. Snape looked… wrong, sitting in it. He didn't belong there.

Even more disconcerting was the look on Snape's face. He was smiling. As the last of the students entered the Hall, Snape raised his hands to silence them.

"First," He said, standing up, "we shall have our sorting ceremony. Then I have a few announcements to make before the feast begins." Dumbledore had said something similar the previous year, but it seemed so wrong coming from anyone else, especially Snape. "Bring in the first years." Neville noticed the Sorting Hat was already sitting in the front of the hall, on a stool in front of the teachers table. Perhaps another trick of the eye, but there seemed to be less first years than usual, in spite of the mandatory attendance policy this year.

"Robert Arrington," McGonagall called out. The first boy in line nervously approached the Sorting Hat. It settled on his head, coming down to his nose while it deliberated. Neville thought back to his own sorting.

_"Hm, a Longbottom, eh?" The Hat had said once it settled on Neville's head. "Think you'll be in Gryffindor, like your dad?" Neville opened his mouth to speak, but the Hat interrupted him. "You don't need to speak out loud, boy. Don't make a fool of yourself."_

_"How do you know my parents?"_

_"Well I only know your dad. You're Frank Longbottom's son. I've sorted every student that ever came to Hogwarts, and I remember them all," The Hat said matter-of-factly. "So, Gryffindor then?" Neville wasn't so sure. He didn't think he was brave enough. He didn't even like arguing with his friends…_

_"Don't even like arguing? Are you thinking Hufflepuff?" The Hat asked. "That's not a bad fit, certainly…"_

_"It's best."_

_"I'm not so sure about that. You underestimate yourself, Neville. Now think. Imagine you had a friend, and you saw him doing something wrong. You would try to stop them, wouldn't you?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"Now think of why. Would you do it keep your friend from getting in trouble, or because you thought it was wrong, even though they were your friends?" And when Neville answered that question, he knew Gryffindor was the right House for him._

"Hufflepuff!" The hat said aloud, bringing Neville back to the present. The young Robert Arrington looked relieved as he walked to the Hufflepuff table.

"Binburry, Samson," McGonagall called. A squat first year with a face somewhat like a toad sat under the Sorting Hat. After a few moments the hat sorted him to Slytherin. The same thing happened with Amelia Brown and Phillip Crabbe.

"That's three Slytherins," Seamus whispered.

"They're only in the C's," Neville said, but even as he spoke Harriet Dodgson was sorted to Slytherin as well.

Next, Amanda Dodgson was sorted to Ravenclaw, then Gryffindor got its first with Michael Franklin, a tall boy with puffy cheeks. By the end of the ceremony, Gryffindor had only gotten three new students.

"Slytherin got twelve," Seamus whispered to him again. Neville hadn't been counting, but he believed him. Ravneclaw and Hufflepuff had only gotten few more recruits as well. Two new Slytherin prefects carried the sorting hat away, and Snape raised his hands rather unnecessarily for silence.

"I have a few annoucements before we begin the feast," Snape said, rising to his feet. "There have been a number of staff changes this year. First and foremost, I have replaced the Headmaster after his passing at the end of the previous year. I hope that I am able to serve you as well, or better, in the coming years." He smiled, or at least sneered brightly, and looked around the room, perhaps expecting applause. He got some from the Slytherin table, but none from anywhere else. Snape continued, unperturbed. "In addition, we will also be adding two other teachers to our staff this year.

"As some of you may have heard, Charity Burbage, our Muggle Studies instructor, vanished over the summer. Though we still hope she will return to us soon, we have found a replacement to fill the position as long as necessary."

Snape sat, and the figure to the right of Amycus stood. From this distance, she looked almost exactly like her brother.

"Hello," She began. "I was sad to hear about your Professor Burbage, but I'm happy I'll get to teach you all this year." There was another small applause from the Slytherin table. "I don't like Professor Burbage's methods, though. I'll be making some changes to the class. Professor Burbage was too much of an idealist. I hope to give you a more realistic idea of what Muggles are like." Alecto sat down to a rather larger applause from the Slytherin table than she had stood up to. Neville only felt even more uneasy, actually a little sick. For the first time, he wasn't looking forward to the feast.

He looked around to see what some of the Muggle-borns thought about her, but couldn't find any. Then he remembered hearing about the Muggle-born registration commission. He thought it sounded fairly tame, but Gran saw it for what it really was.

_"They're going to ship them off," She said. "Ship them off and kill them, I would think. Why else would they care? Everyone knows the Muggle-borns are no different than us, but those Death Eaters, they have other opinions. They won't have them. Mark my words, Neville. Tell your Muggle-born friends to watch their backs."_

Snape stood and spoke again. "I'm sure we will all make Professor Carrow feel welcome.

"Now, due to my unexpected promotion, my previous teaching position was left vacant. So please, allow me to introduce the new Dark Arts teacher, Professor Amycus Carrow." There was again a mild applause from the Slytherin table, which cut off when Professor McGonagall stood up.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," She said loudly and clearly. "Don't you mean Defense Against the Dark Arts?" For a moment, Neville thought Snape would contradict her, but then he smiled slightly.

"Of course." He sat down without another word. Amycus Carrow, one of the two nearly identical figures stood up and started to walk around the table. Though he walked with a slight stoop, he still tried to carry himself with an air of regality. He walked around till he stood nearly in front of Professor Snape. He grinned widely, in a way more frightening than even Snape.

"Greeting, students," He said, his dark eyes scanning the room. In spite of his somewhat goblin-like appearance, his voice was smooth as silk. "I am Amycus Carrow. your new _Defense Against _the Dark Arts teacher." He paused, as though allowing the students to take it all in. "I understand that this school has gone through a number of teachers in the position for the last several years. Fear not! I hope to continue the and expand the techniques and tradition established by Professor Snape when he held this position last year." He looked over the students and smiled again. "I believe that is all I have to say. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you this year." Amycus turned with a sweep of his cloak, and walked back to his seat.

Snape stood and waited till Amycus returned to his seat before speaking again. "I am certain we will look forward to having both Professors Carrow on out staff this year. And in light of our new outlook on Muggle Studies, that class will be mandatory this year for all students. Your schedules have been adjusted accordingly." Murmurs erupted in pockets all around the great hall, but Snape raised his hands for silence. "The Professors Carrow will be handling all detentions this year. All other professor will report any infractions to either Professor Carrow, and the student will serve detention with them." Hagrid, sitting at the end of the table, grunted loudly. Snape looked at him for a moment before continuing. "And finally, in terms of House points, Purebloods will be given favor over those of… lesser blood." Snape gave no explanation for this last policy, but instead clapped his hand, causing food to appear on the table. Some students tucked into the meal right away, but most of the Gryffindors, especially the older students, were too troubled to eat.

"Still think it's going to be a normal year, Neville?" Ginny whispered harshly. Neville shook his head.

He managed to eat a little, but only because he knew he should. He didn't really feel like eating anything, and wasn't sure how much his stomach would keep down. The feast eventually ended, and Neville walked out of the Great Hall with Seamus.

"Excuse me a moment, Mr. Longbottom," Professor McGonagall's voice called as he passed through the door.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I need to speak with you in private."

Neville blinked, quite confused. The only time McGonagall had spoken to him alone was when he was in trouble, or when they discussed his career options two years ago. "Yeah, of course. Seamus, I'll see you in the room."

"See you, Neville," Seamus called as he caught up with Ginny and Luna.

Neville joined McGonagall, and realized Parvati Patil was waiting with her. The two of them followed McGonagall to her office, a few floors up from the Great Hall. She opened the door and held the it for them, then followed him in after. She gestured to the chairs in front of her desk, then sat down behind it.

"Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Patil," McGonagall began. "As I am sure you have noticed, things will be different this year at Hogwarts." Neville nodded sullenly. "It will be a hard year, and, I think, also a dangerous one." Neville thought of Snape in the Headmaster's chair, and what he'd done to get there, and nodded again. "Gryffindor in particular has been hit hard this year. Many of out students have gone into hiding or… or worse." She cleared her throat for a moment. "I will get to the point. With Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger not attending this year, we have lost two of our prefects. We will need all the help we can get to watch out for our students. I have…discussed this matter with the Headmaster, and we have decided that you two are the best choices to fill these vacancies."

Parvati, who had been as glum as Neville, brightened somewhat. "Really, Professor?"

"Yes, Ms. Patil." McGonagall reached into her robes and pulled out two prefect badges. Parvati took hers and immediately pinned it to her cloak. Neville took his as well, and felt a little bit happier.

"I trust you will both take these positions seriously, and not only watch out for the younger members of your House, but keep some of the older, more volatile ones in check?"

"Yes, Professor," they said in unison.

"Very good. You may go." Parvati practically exploded from her seat and left the room. Neville wondered how long her enthusiasm would last.

"Mr. Longbottom, a moment," McGonagall said as Neville reached the door.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I will be frank with you. Professor Snape insisted that you be on of the prefects this year. He believes you are weak, that he and the other students will be able to push you around." Neville blinked, unsure of what he was supposed to say. "I think he is wrong, and I hope you will work to prove that to him."

"Yes, Professor," Neville said with a smile, some of his misery leaving him. He caught up to Parvati and they walked back to the common room together. "Ginny's going to be a handful," Neville said, just so they wouldn't walk in silence.

"I suppose she will," Parvati said somewhat whimsically. "I think I'll leave her to you." They made small talk all the way back to Gryffindor common room. Neville thought about trying to make her laugh- Parvati was certainly very pretty- but Neville wasn't very good at being funny. And he didn't really think Parvati was his type anyway.

When they climbed through the portrait hole, a wall of silence hit them. Their conversation cut off, and they whispered goodbyes and went to join their other friends.

The low volume depressed Neville. It seemed as though no one really cared about what had just happened. In previous years, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan would openly plotting rebellion. Percy, even, might have complained. That git Cormac McLaggen would have been loudly proclaiming he would put an end to injustice. Neville longed to even hear Oliver Wood complaining about how the new rules would effect Quidditch.

"_It's because I'm one of the older kids now,"_ Neville thought. _"And I'm not doing it." _He looked around the room. He and Seamus were the only 7th year boys left. Lavender and Parvati, talking by the fireplace, were the only girls, and he wasn't really sure how much he could really count on them. There were a number of 6th years, but only Ginny and Romilda Vane seemed to have much boldness about them, and only Ginny ever applied it in a productive way. She was currently lecturing to some fifth years about what had happened at the feast.

"…giving preference to purebloods? Why don't they just go ahead and kick out all the Muggle-borns, then?" She said furiously to anyone who would listen. "Oh, wait, they already did!"

"But aren't you a pure-blood?" A fifth-year named James Digby asked.

"So? What if I am?" Ginny put her hands on her hips. "Bloodlines don't matter. It's what we do that matters, not who our ancestors were! Professor Dumbledore believed that, and so do I. The most brilliant witch I ever know was a Muggle-born.

"And Snape as Headmaster? It's like some sort of sick joke. He murdered Dumbledore and then dares to sit in his chair?"

"I read it was…" a third year-started, then hesitated. "I read it was Undesirable Number One." The poor kid must not have known who Ginny was, somehow.

"And why would Harry, that's right, say his name, why would Harry want to kill Dumbledore?" Ginny got right in the third-year's face as she answered. Though he was a bit taller than her, he still shrank back. "Dumbledore was like a father to Harry, and what would Harry have to gain anyway? But now that Snape's killed him, he's probably sitting at You-Know-Who's right hand!" The third year had no answer to this. He looked away and walked off to his dorm.

The outburst seemed to take a lot of out Ginny. She sat down in an armchair and was quiet. Luckily, no one else seemed interested in confronting her.

"I think I'm going to bed," Neville said to Seamus.

"Think I'll come with you. Been a long day."

"Been a long summer," Neville muttered. The two of them ascended the stairs, and found their trunks and effects already in the room. The two, lone beds stood on opposite sides of the room.

"Feels so… empty." Neville said.

"And quiet," Seamus agreed. They walked to their beds and tried to settle in. In previous years, they had stayed up with Harry, Ron, and Dean, talking about summer, or girls, practicing new magic, or playing with Fred and George's latest invention.

"Isn't quite right, is it?" Seamus called from his bed.

"No," Neville said.

"Too early, we never went to bed this soon, cept maybe that first night." Seamus sighed. "You feel like talking?"

"No," Neville said after a moment.

"Me neither." Seamus put out his lamp and drew his curtains. Neville left his open. He didn't like feeling so confined. The moonlight began to drift across the floor, and up Neville's bed. He turned away from it, as memories began to assault him.

_"Keep your head down, Neville,"_ Gran's voice told him. An image of his parents in St. Mungo's, and his drawer full of candy wrappers, toothpicks, and paperclips, ripped up napkins covered with ink flashed through his head.

He recalled the Department of Mysteries. He recalled the Dolohov breaking his nose. He recalled seeing Bellatrix Lestrange, and recalled again the first time he had seen her, when she's tortured his parents.

He thought of Snape. Snape, sitting in Dumbledore's chair. Snape still scared him. He's faced down a lot of his demons in the past few years, but Snape still scared him. And Snape knew it.

He thought of Dumbledore's body, lying broken at the bottom of the castle. Murdered by Snape. If Dumbledore couldn't stop Snape, who could?

_"Keep your head down, Neville."_ The voice came unbidden once more before he finally fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3: The Worst First Day Ever

**Chapter Three: The Worst First Day Ever **

Neville woke early from troubled dreams. It had started out like his usual nightmare. It came up every few months, with more frequency since the end of the previous school year.

When it started, he was stuck in a corner. He didn't think he was tied up or magically bound, but he still couldn't move. He could only watch as everything happened and do nothing to stop it.

She had come in through the window. She had shattered it, sending broken fragments all through the room. His mother had taken a shard of glass through her cheek. That image always haunted him. His parents were Aurors. They had stood up to the Dark Lord three times. Even more than most other children, Neville had always thought his parents were invincible. But when he saw that shard of glass sticking out of her cheek, he knew it wasn't really true.

His mom had screamed, but grabbed her wand and aimed at the window. A red bolt shot from her wand, missing the woman, but hitting the man climbing in after her. He fell back, but two red bolts shot through the window and struck her in the head and chest. She flew backwards and hit the wall.

His father had also drawn his wand. He brought it to bear, but stopped short of aiming it at the window, as though hesitating. At the time, Neville didn't understand why. By the time his father got his wand aimed properly, more red bolts had shot through the window, knocking back to the ground besides Neville mother. Later, Neville realized his father had cast a charm on Neville, to keep him hidden from the Death Eaters. Otherwise, Neville would likely not have lived through the attack.

Neville turned back to the window, and saw Snape climbing in. That wasn't right. It was supposed to be Barty Crouch Jr., the Death Eater that impersonated Professor Moody during Neville's fourth year.

Amycus and Alecto Carrow followed Snape. That wasn't right either. It was supposed to be the other Lestranges, Rabastan and Rodolphus. But they stepped forward and started performing the Cruciatus Curse on his parents while Bellatrix sealed the window and cast a muffling spells. A shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see Snape.

"What do you think you can do, Longbottom?" Snape sneered, and Neville tried to cower back further into the corner. "You can't change anything. Oh you may think you've done well, gotten better over the past few years, but Dumbledore's still dead. Your parents aren't getting any better. Your grandmother still hates you.

"And now I'm in charge, and there's nothing you can do about it. You never could. You're weak, helpless, incompetent, and there's no one to help you this year." Snape raised his wand. Neville tried to back away further, but he couldn't move. "And now, I think, it's time you join your parents… Crucio!"

Neville jerked awake, drenched in a cold sweat. His breathing came in sharp and heavy. He told himself over and over that it was only a dream, only a dream. He wiped off his face, and glanced out the window. A bit of sunlight shone through and danced on the floor. IAlmost time to get up. Neville groaned softly and pulled the curtain of his four poster so it blocked the window.

He must have fallen asleep again, because it seemed like only a moment later when Seamus shook him awake. "C'mon Nev, it's almost time for breakfast."

Neville got up and found his clothes, and tried to figure out how he felt about his new nickname. Seamus waited till Neville pulled on his robes, and the two of them went to breakfast together. They found Ginny sitting near Demelza Robbins and some other girls Neville didn't know, and none of them spoke much. When Seamus and Neville sat down, she came over and sat with them.

"Morning, Ginny," Seamus greeted. He was the only morning person Neville had ever known, besides Hermione and his Gran.

"Hello," Ginny greeted blearily. From the bags under her eyes, Neville guessed he wasn't the only one who hadn't slept well last night.

"You were right, Ginny," Neville said. "I know it's going to be different this year."

"I know," she replied, putting some butter on her biscuit. "And we don't have Harry to lead us, or to…" She trailed off and cleared her throat. "to help us figure out what to do."

"Yeah," Neville said. He remembered how easy it was to follow Harry in his fifth year. He'd followed him out of Hogwarts and into the Department of Mysteries with hardly a second thought. Before that, the only reason he'd been out at night was when he'd forgotten the password to the tower.

"Well, it's just us," Seamus said. "We'll get by. We'll have to."

"Sure." Ginny was looking off at the wall as she spoke. "Get by..." The conversation ceased at that point, as the three of them ate the breakfast. The Great Hall soon filled up, though only the Slytherin table seemed to be making much noise.

"Good morning, fellow travelers," Luna said airily, taking a seat next to Neville.

"Morning, Luna," Ginny greeted.

"Oh, I'm so excited about Muggle Studies this year. I wonder what Professor Carrow will be teaching us?"

"Luna, she's a Death Eater. You know that, right?" Seamus was unused to Luna's eccentricities.

"Oh, of course," Luna said. "I believe I may have hexed her last year. But it will be so interesting to have a different perspective on the subject!" No one seemed sure what to say. Neville managed to smile to himself, and shook his head lightly. "Oh, and have you looked at your new schedules? We're going to have Defense Against the Dark Arts together! Won't that be fun?"

"I'm not sure anything with Amycus Carrow will be fun," Seamus said. "Especially that class."

"Oh, perhaps," Luna said. "But it will be nice to see you all, anyway…"

"Miss Lovegood." Neville jumped at the sound of Professor Snape's voice behind him. He turned to see Snape hovering over Luna. "The policy on seating arrangements during meals has not changed."

Luna looked around confusedly. "Oh my? Am I not at my table? I suppose I should be getting back there…" Luna picked up her food and walked back to her table, though Neville though he saw a trace of smugness pass across her face.

Snape snorted. "Five points from Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor." He almost walked away, but looked back and noticed Neville. "Longbottom. You'd best eat quickly. As a Prefect, you'll be expected to help the first years find their classes. I hope you will find yourself up to the task"

"You're a prefect, then?" Seamus asked.

"When were you going to tell us? That's great!" Ginny was happy for him. From farther down the table, Demelza Robins and Lavender Brown looked over at him. He looked away, feeling himself turn red.

"It's not that big a deal," he said. "I mean, with Ron and Hermione gone, they picked me and Parvati to replace them."

"That's still great, Nev," Seamus said. Ginny gave Neville a funny look, but he shrugged it off.

"I'll go talk with McGonagall," Neville said. "See exactly what I'll be doing."

"Alright. We'll see you in class," Ginny called after him.

Neville nearly bumped into McGonagall as he started to walk to the teacher's table. "Oh, Professor," Neville said, stepping away from her. "I was just looking for you."

"And I for you," McGonagall said. "I have your… revised schedule for the year. Here you are," she said as she handed it to him. "Look it over and we'll talk about your Prefect duties in a moment." She turned away and then turned back. "I nearly forgot. Due to some of the… curriculum changes this year, some of you may have classes with students older or younger than you, she said loud enough for the group to hear.

"Snape's really made a muddle of our schedules, then?" Seamus asked. McGonagall smiled as she handed out the schedules, but did not say anything.

"What are you taking?" Neville looked up and saw Parvati. She had been following McGonagall. Neville joined her as McGonagall went down the table.

Neville looked over his new schedule. His first class was Charms. He'd done much better in Charms since his time in the DA, and looked forward to it. After that he had Muggle Studies, then Herbology, his favorite, and finally Defense Against the Dark Arts. Not too bad, he supposed.

He and Parvati followed McGonagall to the end of the Gryffindor table, where she handed out the last of the new schedules. She led them out of the Great Hall, and spoke with them just outside the doors.

"As Prefects, you already know you will have more responsibilities," McGonagall said. "And that you are the seventh year Prefects only adds to that responsibility. The other Prefects will look up to you when they are unsure of what to do.

"And, I don't think I will need to tell you, this year will be a more dangerous year than years past." McGonagall stopped speaking to glace behind her. "You will have to be more vigilant than usual. I do not know what our new staff members are planning, but they are both cruel and black-hearted. If any student breaks a rule, or dares to challenge them, I shudder to think on the consequences.

"And yet there is more. Your duty is to the students before the school. You must do whatever you can to protect the students from any threats, internal or external. I am hoping some of the other teachers will handle the internal threats, and yet…"

"We understand, Professor," Neville said. His mouth had gone dry listening to McGonagall, and his voice rasped slightly. Parvati seemed troubled as well.

"Very good then. Now, breakfast is almost over. The first years have been instructed to come to you if they need help finding their classes. You will remain here and see if any need help, and then go on to your classes."

"Yes, Professor," Parvati and Neville said in unison. McGonagall turned and walked toward her office. A moment later, students began filing out of the Great Hall. The other Prefects took positions near Neville and Parvati, though Draco and Pansy walked off arm in arm. Nevile noticed that they had been named Head Boy and Head Girl. They didn't notice Neville, which suited him fine. After everything that had happened, he wasn't scared of Draco, exactly. He knew Draco would be a problem throughout the year, but he seemed to pale next to Snape and the Carrows. But after the dreams he'd had, he'd just as soon put off dealing with Draco.

Neville helped a few of the first years find their ways to the potions classroom, then quickly ran to his first class, Charms. The class was mostly uneventful for Neville and the other members of the DA. Flitwick taught them the basic Shield Charms, as well as the Stunning Spell. Only older students were supposed to learn the advanced spells, but Neville had known them all since his fifth year. Still, the review was good, and plenty of other students were learning the spells for the first time. Flitwick promised to go over the Full Body Bind and Jelly Legs curses next time.

"D'you think they're making him teach us all that?" Seamus asked as they left the class. "None of it was really new…"

"It was new to a lot of them," Neville pointed out. "And I don't think Snape would want us learning how to fight back." Seamus shrugged and they started off for Muggle Studies. They posed the question to Luna and Ginny at the Muggle Studies classroom.

"Flobberworms," Luna said. The other three stared at her, but Luna did not seem to think any further explanation was warranted and went to sit in the front of the class. Seamus made to follow, but Neville grabbed his arm and shook his head.

"You'll just end up more confused." Neville and Seamus took the seats behind Luna, with Terry Boot filling the seat next to her. Ginny sat at the next table over. She tried to gesture Parvati, but Michael Corner appeared and occupied the seat instead.

"Hey Ginny," he said, leaning toward her slightly. Ginny glared at him and returned the greeting icily. "It's good that we have this class together, don't you think?"

Ginny was spared answering by the arrival of Alecto Carrow. "Quiet, quiet!" she ordered. The whole class fell silent, save for…

"… and there have been more than one hundred sightings in the last seven…"

"I said quiet!" Alecto practically shouted at Luna. Luna looked over to Alecto and smiled as though noticing her for the first time.

"Oh hello, Professor Carrow. I've been looking forward to new methods you talked about yesterday." Alecto looked ready to shout again, but changed her mind when she realized she was being complemented.

"Yes. Well. This is Muggle Studies. We'll be learning about Muggles, but, as I said, it's going to be different. You have your textbooks?" Neville pulled his textbook out in front of him while the rest of the class did the same. _The Lives and Habits of the Typical English Muggle_ by A. Hummin, the cover read. "Put them on my desk. Now!" Slowly, confusedly, the students walked to the front of the room and placed their textbooks on Alecto Carrow's desk. "Some of you may have read through this book, or used it in previous years. Now, forget everything you learned from it. Incendio!" Alecto pointed her wand at the stack of books. The pile erupted into flame and quickly turned to ash. "You may have been told that Muggles are not so different from us. You may have been told Muggles are intelligent and have made advances in some way. That view is idiotic. Think about how easily we hide from them, and modify their memories. If we want to kill a Muggle, they can't even begin to fight back." She raised her wand over her head. "With this wand and this wand alone, I could kill one hundred, even one thousand Muggles, armed with their pathetic metal wands and big green cars."

"Tanks," Seamus muttered under his breath.

"Magic is might, children," Alecto said, not caring that half her students were legal adults. "That's the most important thing. Don't forget it." Alecto spent the rest of the lecture discussing what was quickly becoming the Ministry's official policy on Muggles, which was none too flattering. Several of the other students grew noticeably agitated, but no one spoke up. For now, anyway.

"Pretty wild, eh?" Michael said. "Be a wild year I expect…"

"Yeah, real wild," Ginny said. "Isn't your class back that way?" The Gryffindors were all heading outside, toward Herbology.

"Oh right," Michael turned a little red. "I'll see you later." He turned around and went back toward the school.

"I suppose I should be going as well," Luna said. "I have Divination. Perhaps I can learn something about what will happen this year…"

"So what's up with him?" Seamus asked as Luna drifted off. "Why's he always hanging around?"

"Don't you remember?" Ginny asked. "We dated a few years ago." She actually seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, right. Not over you, then?"

"Seems like not." Ginny shook her head. "He dated Cho last year… I think they were trying to get back at me and Harry." Seamus and Ginny talked up to the Greenhouse, but Neville got distracted by the arrival of the Hufflepuffs. Like most years, Gryffindors had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and Neville had just spotted Hannah Abbot. She was walking towards the Greenhosue from the direction of Hagrid's cabin with Ernie Macmillan and a few others Neville didn't know as well.

"Oh, hello Neville," Ernie greeted. "So good to see you again, after so long." Ernie sometimes got on Neville's nerves, but he thought his heart was in the right place.

"Yeah," Neville said, trying to keep his eyes from drifting to Hannah.

"Ginny, Seamus, always a pleasure." Neville recalled once, during his fourth year, when Ernie once called Ginny "Ginevra." It had taken Madam Pomfrey two days to completely clean up his face.

"Hello, Ernie." Ginny shook his hand, as thought she were meeting a diplomat.

"What did you think of Muggle Studies? You just had that class, didn't you?"

"I don't think I'm going to like it. I've met a few Muggles and they're not like that at all," Ginny answered.

"Well, yes," Ernie said. "I haven't had the occasion, but I don't see why they should be so different from us." Ginny, Seamus, and Ernie kept talking, but Neville dropped back a bit so he could walk next to Hannah.

"Hello, Neville," she greeted.

"Hello, Hannah. How was your summer?" Hannah looked at him and smiled over the books clutched to her chest.

"Well…" she started, but hesitated. "Well, we got through it, didn't we?" She managed to smile, and it didn't even look forced. "I'm just going to miss my dad this year, that's all. He's all alone for the first time."

"How come?" Neville asked, and then realized how stupid a question it was. Hannah had left school last year when he mother had been murdered by Death Eaters. "Oh, Hannah, I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," Hannah said. "I'll see you later." Her smile didn't falter, but her tone did as she broke off to stand with Ernie.

"Nev, mate, you ok?" Seamus asked when Neville joined his friends.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He said almost convincingly. "Just forgot something."

Herbology seemed to go back normally. Professor Sprout didn't seem her usual perky self, but then, no one did. They briefly went over some of the plants they would be caring for throughout the semester, but her words just passed through Neville's head. Herbology was his favorite subject, but he was too concerned about what he's said to Hannah. After class, they walked with Hannah and Ernie to the Great Hall.

"It's quite strange, Harry and the others not being here," Ernie said. "I had grown so accustomed to seeing them around. A number of Hufflepuffs could not attend this year, what with the restrictions on Muggle-borns and all, but I do not know them well. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean…" He shook his head. "It is strange."

"What do you have after lunch?" Ginny asked. Neville noticed a small flicker in her smile when Ernie mentioned Harry, and knew why she changed the subject.

As they parted ways and sat down for lunch, Neville's mind wandered over to Hannah again. He glanced at her several times, and she seemed fine, talking happily with Ernie and Susan Bones. _"Well, if she's not going to stew on it, I definitely shouldn't," _Neville thought as he grabbed a roll.

"Neville? Are you alright?" Ginny asked from across the table. "You've been real quiet since Herbology."

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," he said. "D'you have your notes from Herbology? I forgot to take any."

"Sure. I'll loan them to you later." After that, Neville listened to Seamus tell Parvati, Lavender, and Demelza Robbins about the English Quidditch final. Luna joined them on the way to Defense Against the Dark Arts when lunch ended. Rather than speak to Ginny, however, she spoke to Neville.

"Hello, Neville," she greeted.

"Hey, Luna," he returned. He liked talking with her when he got the chance, even though the conversations often took unusual turns.

"May I ask you something Neville?"

"Erm, sure."

"Do you like Hannah?"

Neville stumbled a bit. "Well, I… she's, um…"

"I know you do. I can tell," Luna said. "Don't worry, I'm going to help you."

"R-really?" He'd always had such abysmal luck with every girl he'd liked, especially Hannah. Unless he counted going to the Yule Ball with Ginny, which he didn't. She's spent the whole time talking to Michael Corner.

"Of course! That's what friends do, Neville!" Neville almost grinned as he waited for whatever advice or insight Luna might impart. He always knew there was some intelligence below her crazy demeanor.

No advice came. No insight into the mind of a girl. Instead, Luna skipped over to Hannah and didn't even bother to pull her away from her friends. Neville wanted to shrink away, but there was no where to hide, not even a suit of armor he could stand behind. Luna spoke for a moment, and then pointed at Neville.

He wanted to look away but he couldn't. He felt himself grow red. Her friends started laughing, all except Ernie and Hannah. Ernie looked slightly angry, which hurt, but Hannah's look was worse. She was looking at him with pity.

"See Neville, now she knows!" Luna said and she floated back to his side. "It's only a matter of time."

Neville almost yelled at her. If Hannah hadn't been there, he might have. Instead, he only said "Don't help me anymore," and walked off a side passage, leaving Luna slightly bewildered, and somewhat hurt. He was almost late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, especially after directing a couple of first year Ravenclaws toward Transfiguration, but he still made it in time for Ginny to reproach him.

"She was only trying to help, Neville. You shouldn't have left her like that."

"She embarrassed him in front half the school!" Seamus leaped to Neville's defense. "He just supposed to shake her hand and smile then?"

"He's supposed to treat her like a friend, not a criminal! Luna has feelings too, you know."

"Guys, please," Neville said. "Don't fight…" Seamus and Ginny turned to look at him. "Ginny, you're right. I shouldn't have done that. I'll apologize at dinner."

"Good," Ginny said, after glaring a moment longer. Seamus looked like he still wanted to argue, but he was stopped by the soft but ominous sound of the door closing.

From the back of the class, Amycus Carrow briefly surveyed the class before walk to the front of the room. His cape billowed so perfectly, Neville wondered if it had been enchanted to do so. He stepped heavily, allowing for a slight echo in the small classroom. He turned dramatically at the front of the class, cape flourishing dramatically behind him.

"Class!" he announced. "I am your new _Defense Against_ The Dark Arts teacher,

Amycus Carrow." He stressed the first two words of his title, just as he had at the feast. "In this class, I look forward to teaching you all of the more advanced elements of the Dark Arts… and how to protect yourself from them, of course." He let out a slight grin. "Now, do you all have the assigned text? Take them out please." Neville wondered if there would be another book bonfire in the front of the room. "Good. Now, while I believe this book," He picked up Romilda Vane's book and gave it a dirty look. "Will be a fine supplement, we will primarily work from another text." With a flick of his wand, a stack of books floated out from behind his desk, and distributed itself to the students.

The book was black and felt like leather. Neville read the title

_An Inquiry into the Practice of The Dark Arts _

_By Darthion Dathcal and Jenethor Calix  
_

"Professor, this looks like-" a student began.

"If you are going to say it appears to be a book teaching the Dark Arts," Amycus interrupted. "You would be correct." He let the statement hang for a moment. "For, how can one be expected to learn how to protect oneself, without first having learned what you will be protecting oneself from?" He looked around the class for an answer. "I believe one of your previous professors, one Alastor Moody, used a similar method."

"That wasn't Moody," Ginny said. "He was a Death Eater in disguise, and he got the Demntor's Kiss."

Amycus rubbed his forearm and cleared his throat.

"Well. Just because a man was not who head said does not mean everything did he was wrong, now does it? Certainly not. Besides, you may find that the Death Eaters are not as bad a group as you might imagine." Amycus looked around the class again. "If there are no further interruptions, we shall proceed with our first lesson. Mercifully, all they did the first lesson was read a few pages from the book about Gellert Grindelwald and then listened to Amycus talk about him some. He claimed Grindelwald was probably the second greatest wizard of the twentieth century, and left out his downfall and defeat by Dumbledore. He went on for around twenty minutes before ending the class.

"Left out a few bits, didn't he?" Seamus commented once they were in the hall.

"Are you surprised?" Ginny asked.

"Well, not about most of the stuff he left out, but… didn't you read Rita Skeeter's new book? The one about Dumbledore?" Ginny's glare said not only that she didn't read it, but her opinions on Rita Skeeter as well "I mean, I didn't read it, but I heard about it. Dumbledore used to be friends with Grindelwald."

"Really?" Neville blurted.

"Well it seems that way. She found some letters they'd written. Things like that."

"Oh, I don't believe a word of it," Ginny said. "Remember what she wrote about Harry?"

"Well maybe so, but you'd think the Death Eaters would jump all over it anyway, wouldn't you? Try to discredit Dumbledore and all."

Ginny had no answer, but Neville spoke up. "Maybe not," he said. "Maybe associating Grindelwald with Dumbledore would damage their image of Grindelwald as well?" The others agreed this made sense.

Dinner was a strained affair. Neville heard several Hufflepuffs giggle and snicker as he entered the Great Hall. He hoped the word wouldn't spread to the other Houses, especially not Slytherin. He thought some of the Hufflepuffs might have pointed at him during the meal, but it was hard to tell.

He apologized to Luna after the meal.

"I didn't even realize you were angry at me," she said as they walked out of the Great Hall.

"You didn't?"

"Oh no. I though said something about seeing an Elpneymor down the corridor. I thought you'd gone to chase it."

Neville regarded her carefully. "And you didn't want to catch it yourself?"

"Oh, well of course," Luna said. "But, ah, I thought my hair might scare it off, so I let you try for it yourself."

"Right…"

"And I'm sorry too," Luna said. "I don't think my plan worked. It's just, that's what I would want a boy to do for me. I suspect Hannah must have a different idea about that sort of thing." Neville thought that was the understatement of the century, but didn't say anything. They parted ways at a corridor and walked on toward their respective towers.

In the common room, a few students sat around the tables, diligently working on their homework. Neville felt that he should do the same, but the day's events had worn him mentally, if not physically. The Carrows had turned out to be even worse than he imagined, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Snape and Draco came down on him as well.

And he would feel even more awkward and embarrassed around Hannah…

He threw himself onto his four poster and drew the curtains. Pushing all stray thoughts from his head, Neville closed his eyes and hoped he wouldn't dream.


	4. Chapter 4: The Desensulator

**Chapter Four: The Desensulator**

Neville did his best to adjust to the changes. He gave up caring about the House Cup by the end of the second day when Slytherin was in first with sixty-five points, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff fluctuating between zero and twenty points, and Gryffindor in dead last with negative thirty.

"I didn't even know you could have negative points," Romilda Vane said. Neville saw Ginny give her a dirty look, even though she herself had said something similar not an hour earlier.

"Are we going to owe the something at the end of the year?" Seamus asked.

"No clue," Neville said before heading back to the common room. Looking at the House points was too depressing.

Besides that, the second day went more or less like the first. He had Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy in the morning. He didn't like Arithmancy, and he wasn't good at it, but he needed something to fill up his schedule. He already had one empty period in the afternoon.

"Alrigh' kids, gather roun'. Come on in, closer, there we go," Hagrid called out in Neville's first class with him. Unfortunately, the class was doubled with the Slytherins. "For the first part o' the year, we're going ter study Fire Newts. Lot like Salamanders, they are, but got a lot of important differences. Not nearly do dangerous for one, though they do remind me a little of the Skrewts. I do know what ter feed 'em though." There was a mixture of groans and sighs of relief from the students. "They're also a bit smaller. Come see."

Hagrid led them to the side of his cabin, where a number of small, orange newts were lazing about in several terrariums. "They're real useful when it comes to making certain potions. Mostly dangerous ones… bu' we won' be worryin about that. Just keepin' em alive an all." He reached in and pulled one out off the terrarium. It looked at him oddly, but otherwise didn't seem to mind. Neville was surprised; it seemed unusually boring for something Hagrid was showing them. "These are a friendly bunch cause I raised em myself, but in the wild they can be real vicious. Here, watch…" He set the newt on the ground.

"They may look harmless, but... step away, give him some space…" Hagrid tossed a rock down behind the newt. It turned abruptly and let out a large ball of flame from it mouth, than vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. The students back away even further. "It's not enough ter really hurt, but it makes em more trouble than they're worth for a predator. Now let's let that one calm down. Come and pick one for yerself and feed him nut from that pile over there. Here you go Seamus… Zabini, here's one for you…" Blaise Zabini took a newt, though he held it out at arm's length. He handed out a few more before coming to talk to Ginny and Neville.

"Ye haven't heard from Harry, have yeh?" Hagrid asked, thrusting a newt out each of them. "I heard things over the summer… and now with Snape and the Death Eaters in charge…"

"No," Ginny said. "We have no idea where he is." She filled Hagrid in on the little they knew, which wasn't much. His face grew more and more solemn as Ginny went on.

"Well, I know they haven't caught him yet," Hagrid said. "I still read the _Prophet._ They'd put it all over the front page." Neville felt some relief at Hagrid's word.

"What about everyone else?" Ginny asked.

"Haven't seen anything in the _Prophet_…" Hagrid said. "Don't know if they'd run a story for all of em though." Hagrid shook his head. "Oh, by the way. Might do you some good to turn on your radio tonight, round eight. Be sure you mention the Order when you do." Blaise was walking over at this point, apparently trying to return the newt. Ginny and Neville didn't get the chance to ask what he meant. Together they walked over to Seamus, who was trying to show Lavender and Demelza Robbins how the newt warmed up when you stroked its head.

"Seamus, you have a radio, right?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, why? What's up?"

"Mind bringing it down the common room tonight at eight?" she asked.

"Erm, sure. Something you want to listen to?"

"I'm not sure." Seamus gave Ginny a funny look before shrugging it off and returning his attention to Lavender and Demelza.

"Alright, Goyle. Just stand there. It won't hurt." Neville recognized Draco's Malfoy's voice as he turned away from Seamus. He saw Draco with a rock in his hand, standing near the newt Hagrid had scared earlier. Goyle was standing behind the newt, with a number of Slytherins standing nearby, watching.

"What're you doing, Malfoy?" Ginny demanded suddenly.

Draco and the others jerked toward her voice.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"You're trying to get Hagrid sacked again," Ginny accused.

"It's not our fault he keeps giving us such dangerous animals," Malfoy said, trying to sound innocent.

Ginny drew her wand. "Back up, Malfoy." She didn't point the wand at Draco, but he and several other Slytherins took a step back. Her Bat-Bogey rampage of the pervious year must have been fresh on their minds; several of them had fallen victim to it.

Both Ginny and Draco looked like they wanted to say something, but was waiting for the other to speak first. Draco's hand had dropped into his robe. His hand began to slowly pull his wand out.

Without thinking, Neville stepped forward and picked up the newt. Malfoy opened his mouth and stepped toward him, but he looked at Ginny's wand again and stepped back.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Hagrid shouted, finally noticing the commotion.

"Nothing," Pansy Parkinson said. "Just examining the newt." She gestured toward Neville.

"Y-yeah," Neville said. He didn't want the situation to escalate. "Here you go, Hagrid." Hagrid didn't look convinced, but he took the newt without question.

Hagrid spent the rest of the lesson describing the newt's diet in more detail and its natural environment. Neville was barely able to follow, and almost didn't notice when Hagrid dismissed them.

Neville had Arithmancy next. He didn't know anyone in the class, but Professor Vector was nice enough and the time went quickly. His afternoon class went by equally as fast. He preferred Potions with Professor Slughorn infinitely over his first five years with Snape. He also felt like he might have learned a bit from him. Plus Seamus was in the class.

All in all, eight o' clock seemed to come by in no time at all. Half of Gryffindor- mostly the older half- was crowded around Seamus's radio in the common room. He turned it on, and caught a snippet of some radio soap opera.

"Looks like you missed you show, Gin," Seamus said with a grin. "Looks like she's going to chose Mertus after all…" Ginny punched Seamus in the arm, and he tried a few more stations. The only thing of interest was a news station, which reported on the success of the Muggle-born Registration Commission, under Dolores Umbridge. A number of students groaned and booed. Neville thought of Dean, on the run somewhere. The look on Seamus's face suggested he was thinking the same thing.

"Ginny, what were you looking for?" Seamus asked.

"Hagrid said we ought to listen to the radio tonight…" Ginny shrugged. "maybe they'll have something about Harry?"

"They won't have anything good, Gin, if they mentioned him at all."

"Hagrid, he said we ought to mention the Order," Neville recalled. "The Order of the Phoenix." The radio instantly shifted to another station. The room fell silent, but no sound came from the radio.

"What's going on?" Someone asked.

"It's not quite eight yet," Parvati said, checking her watch. "Just another minute…" At exactly eight, the station sprang to life. The silence was replaced by a short bit of static, which faded and was replaced by a voice.

"Good evening all, and welcome to another edition of Potterwatch, the station of the resistance," the voice said. "I am River, your host. Please take a moment to ensure the security of your location, as we have had report of people being punished or arrested for listening." The station went silent while River allowed the listeners to follow his instructions.

"All third years and under, to your rooms!" Ginny said abruptly. She got a few bewildered and rebellious looks. "Now!" Those who had been staring looked away, and all the younger students began to file for their dorms.

"What's that about, then?" Seamus asked.

"I don't want the younger kids getting in trouble for this. Anyone else who doesn't want to get in trouble should also leave now." A few other students turned toward their dorms, but most of them stayed.

"Here, I've got this," Neville said, producing a pocket Sneakoskope. "Gran sent it with me… just in case." He set it down next to the radio as River began to speak again.

"All set up? Alright, let's get started."

"I know that voice!" Parvati exclaimed. "It's Lee Jordan!"

"It is!" Seamus said excitedly before Ginny shushed him.

"First and foremost, we would like to confirm that Kingsley Shaklebolt, rumored to have been killed by Death Eaters, is alive, barely managing to escape a Death Eater encounter with his life. He would like our viewers to know that You-Know-Who's name may have been made Taboo. Which is to say, speaking his true name will alert Death Eaters to the speaker's location and allow them to Apparate there instantly. Though the theory is unconfirmed, we advise everyone to not speak You-Know-Who's true name.

"Shaklebolt's main duty had been protecting the Muggle Prime Minister, who You-Know-Who targeted a number of time in the last war. With Shaklebolt now in hiding, Dedalus Diggle has spearheaded a shifting watch on the Muggle Minster, to ensure his safety.

"We have also received word that Muggle-borns who failed to register are being hunted and forcefully taken by the Ministry's Snatchers. Any Muggle-borns on the run should be advised that the lead Snatcher is the vicious Werewolf Fenrir Greyback, who is not always known for bringing those he is sent to snatch in alive. Exercise extreme caution when you go out in public.

"Short program tonight- we can't be sure of the safety of this location. We will wrap up with the Potter report. We have no confirmation of Harry's current activities. Sources within the Ministry confirm that he has not been caught, so we assume he is still living free. If you're listening, Harry, you have our support, and that of our listeners. Stay strong.

"The password for next week is 'Youngest Seeker.' Till then, I'm River." The radio station went to static, and then back to silence.

"Well that was enlightening," Seamus said somewhat sarcastically. Neville was glad he wasn't the only one who felt slightly let down.

"Oh lay off," Ginny said. "What did you expect, word that the Order was coming to kick out Snape and the Carrows? They have other things to worry about. And we learned about saying You-Know-Who's true name."

"But none of us ever said it anyway," Romilda Vane pointed out.

"Harry did," Ginny said. "So did Dumbledore. I did too. You can't fight someone if you're too afraid to even say their name.

"Besides," Neville said. "it's good to know we're not alone."

"Alone?" Romilda said. "Of course we're alone. They didn't even mention us!"

"We're not alone in resisting You-Know-Who."

"You're resisting him, are you? A little girl?" Romilda mocked.

"Harry was a baby when he defeated him the first time." Ginny said.

Neville knew there was a little more to it than that, but decided not to mention it. "Listen, it's late, and we all have early classes. Why don't we head off to bed?"

There were murmurs of agreement. The crowd began to trickle off to their rooms. A few stayed behind, opening textbooks for some reading. Neville waited to walk up with Seamus, who had become somewhat glum since the end of the program.

"Everything alright?" Neville asked as they ascended the stairs.

"Just worrying about Dean," Seamus said. "He's on the run? What if that bloody Werewolf catches him? Kills him, or turns him into… into…"

"Don't worry about it," Neville said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "Dean's smart. He won't get caught. He's one of the best in our year." An exaggeration, but not a horrible one.

"Yeah, you're right. Did I tell you about that time in our second year when Crabbe tried to steal his potions homework?" They sat in the middle of the dorm room, and told stories about Dean, and then Harry, and Ron, and all their absent friends until they had only just enough energy to crawl into their beds and fall asleep.

Neville was in potions when he saw Amycus Carrow hovering outside the door. The class was almost over- past over, actually, but Slughorn was telling an old story about something or other. Neville had stopped paying attention once he realized the class was supposed to be over. He nudged Seamus and pointed to Amycus, but Seamus only shrugged.

Slughorn finally wrapped up his story, telling of how he'd once saved a young lady's life with a potion, and it was up to the students to figure out what she was afflicted with, and what potion Slughorn had used.. Amycus swept through the door with a flourish of his cloak.

"Excuse me, Professor Slughorn; I need to see one of your students, to inform her that she will be serving detention this afternoon."

"Ahem. Professor Carrow, I am certain that none of my students have done any-"

"Oh no, Horace, no no…" Neville was slightly put off hearing Slughorn called by his first name. Only Dumbledore had done that. "I don't mean to imply that you have been shirking your duties." He smiled in a way that did not seem to reassure Slughorn at all. "No, surely you wouldn't do that. There was an incident in another class, which has just been brought to my attention. I will need to see Ginevra Weasley, please."

Hearing her name, Ginny stood up. "What's going on?" She demanded.

"Miss Weasley, I will discuss this matter with you outside…"

"You'll discuss it with me now."

"Very well," Amycus relented. "it's better that the others should hear. Miss Weasley drew her wand on another student. A pureblood student. She will serve detention with me this afternoon, after class."

"Hey! She only did it 'cause Malfoy was causing trouble!" Seamus hollered, standing up next to Neville.

"Is that so, Mr. Finnigan?" Amycus said. "Then you two may get whatever story you wish to tell strait. You will be joining her in detention tomorrow." Seamus seemed slightly shocked, and the Slytherins in the room laughed. Draco Malfoy, in particular, seemed amused. Amycus left the room after making sure no other students would challenge him.

"W-well then. Class is over. Don't forget your homework." As the rest of the class was packing away their things, Slughorn approached Ginny.

"Ginny, I'm very sorry about that."

Ginny shrugged. "It's just detention."

"Detention with the Carrows… will not be pleasant. I will try to put in a good word for you, but if I can't… well, drink this before you go." He handed her a small glass vial full of a pink liquid. Neville thought he might give some to Seamus as well, sitting one row behind Ginny, but Slughorn didn't even look at him.

"_Forgot how Slughorn worked,"_ Neville thought. Seamus was a nobody. Ginny had managed to catch his attention with the Bat-Bogey Hex the previous year.

"How bad do you think it will be?" Seamus asked as they left the room.

"Not too bad," Ginny said. "Not yet. They're not going to be openly cruel yet."

"You hope." Ginny didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes said she thought Seamus was correct.

Lunch was a quiet affair. Both Seamus and Ginny were quiet as they ate. Worrying about detention, Neville supposed. He tried to engage them in conversation because he hated the silence, but neither of them felt much like talking.

As they were leaving the lunchroom, they were cut off my Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. "Well well, little Weasley got a detention. Shouldn't have threatened me with your wand. It's one of the most basic school rules." Ginny didn't say anything. She shouldered her way around Goyle, but Draco followed her. "I know when Dumbledore was here Potter and his little friends got off free when it came to rule breaking, but now-"

Ginny suddenly whirled on him. "I warned you not to talk about Harry again," Ginny said loudly. A look of fear crossed Draco's face, but it was quickly replace by smugness when Ginny didn't reach for her wand.

"Ginny, don't," Neville said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "This is what he wants. He wants you to do something stupid and-"

"So standing up for my friends is stupid, is it?" she cut him off. Neville opened his mouth to reply, but another voice spoke first.

"Is there a problem here?" Alecto Carrow had heard them arguing.

"Yes, Professor," Draco said, not even trying to hide his smirk. "Longbottom here just said he was going to get me for what I did to the Weasley girl."

"False accusations! Threats!" Alecto said joyfully. "You'll be joining her in detention, Longbottom." She gave them a smile that chilled bones. "You really should know not to threaten people. So violent…" Alecto walked off, Draco and his crew in tow.

"I'm sorry, Neville," Ginny said softly. "I've pulled you into my fights. Twice!"

"You didn't pull me in, Ginny," Neville said. "My friends' fights are mine as well." Even as Neville spoke, though, he had his doubts. On the way to his next class, the voices of Gran, the Sorting Hat, and Snape taunted him.

"_Keep your head down, Neville." _

"_Don't make a fool of yourself." _

"_Infractions will be dealt with harshly." _

Neville's next few classes and dinner went by in a blur. Before he realized it he, Ginny, and Seamus were walking towards the detention room. Previously, detention had usually consisted of doing a chore for a teacher or Filch, not reporting to a specific room. Though only a small change, Neville found it made him incredibly nervous.

When they arrived at the appointed room, which was also Alecto's classroom, they found a few other students waiting around as well. Zacharias Smith was among them, as well as two younger students Neville didn't know by name.

"What're you here for?" Seamus asked Zacharias cheerfully.

"Didn't do my Divination homework properly," he said glumly. "Suppose I didn't predict my own death enough."

"Sorry to hear that, mate." Zacharias shrugged. They waited on in silence.

"Hey Ginny, you'd best take that potion Slughorn gave you," Neville reminded her. "You might not get the chance once the Carrows get here."

"Oh, right." She pulled out the vial and downed the pink liquid. She had just stashed the vial back in her robes when the Carrows came around the corner. Amycus has the same look of casual detachment he always wore, but Alecto was smiling widely.

"I hope its Amycus handling the detention," Seamus whispered. Neville agreed with a nod.

Alecto opened the door and let the students in. Amycus stayed back to make sure none tried to slip away. Once the door closed and all the students were seated, Alecto took the roll.

"Barnaby, Hector?" she called out near the end. No one replied. "Barnaby, Hector? Is he here?"

"It seems he is not," Amycus said. "I will speak with Professor Flitwick this evening. He is in Ravenclaw, I believe."

No one else was missing. After Alecto finished taking the roll, Amycus began to speak. "I am certain that some of you may have gotten detention before. Perhaps not. I understand in previous years detention has been used sparingly, with a deduction in House points being the preferred punishment. This year, detention will be more prominent. I would rather punish the individual who breaks a rule harshly, rather than the whole rather lightly.

"Both my sister and I had our own thoughts on the best method of punishment. She was in favor of a more corporal punishment, whereas I preferred something more… refined. In the end, we compromised. You will be punished by each of us, in our preferred method, for one minute each. If any of you return here, you will be punished for a extra minute each for every subsequent visit." He gestured to Alecto. "You may begin."

"Alright. We're starting with the prefect. Longbottom."

Neville felt his heart sink. His head swam for a moment, and he felt like freezing in place and running away. Instead, he managed to control himself and walk to the front of the room, eyes locked on Alecto.

"There." She pointed to a spot about six feet away from her. Neville stood on the spot and waited. He did not have to wait long.

"_Searus!"_ Alecto said, pointing her wand. Every inch of Neville felt as though it had burst into flame. He didn't see any fire, but it hurt just the same. He vainly beat his arms, but the feeling did not subside.

The feeling immediately stopped when Alecto moved her wand. Neville fell to his hands and knees, gasping. Alecto flicked her wand again, and Neville felt like he'd been struck in the face. He fell onto his back and continued to gasp as blood ran from his nose.

"_Pascalus,"_ Alecto said. Suddenly, intense pressure tried to grind Neville's body into the floor. The pressure moved, concentrating in certain areas then moving to others, not allowing Neville the chance to get used to it. He felt he must have made in a dent in the floor by the time the pressure let up.

"Having fun, Longbottom?" Alecto grinned wickedly. "I am." She flicked her wand again, and Neville was jerked up and off the floor. His arms were stretched above his head, while his feet were pulled back to the floor. He grunted loudly, but managed to keep from screaming. Alecto moved her wand in a circle, and Neville was spun upside down, still being stretched. He hung there for several excruciating moments, and then Alecto released the spell and he fell to the ground.

"Return to your seat," Amycus said immediately. Neville wanted to lie on the ground for a few hours, but he knew laying there would be worse. He pulled himself to his feet, though his joints ached. He saw a few faces on the way back to his seat; Zacharias Smith looked terrified, while Ginny and Seamus looked both concerned a bit frightened as well.

"Neville are, you ok?" Ginny whispered.

"I'm-"

"There will be no talking during detention." Amycus Carrow had suddenly appeared next to them. Neville hadn't even seen him leave his desk. "Further infractions will result in another detention."

Seamus was called up next. He watched as Alecto did many of the same things to him, with a few variations. Seamus came back to his seat with a black eye and a limp left arm. One of the younger students, a blonde girl who couldn't be older than a second-year. She trembled as she walked up, and when Alecto threw her back against the wall, Neville tried to look away.

"Watch, child," Amycus said softly by Neville's ear. "Watching is part of the punishment." Neville force himself to look toward the front of the room, but tried to focus on the back wall. He did not have much success; the girl screamed too loudly.

When Alecto finished, the girl couldn't stand. She lied on the ground whimpering, holding her left ankle. Ginny moved to help her up, but Amycus grabbed her shoulder and held her in her seat.

"Get up," Alecto said.

"I don't think she can," Ginny said.

"Stay out of it, girl," Alecto snapped. "If you won't get up, I'll have to help you._Windgardium Leviosa!_" The girl rose up into the air and then floated over to her desk. Alecto carefully lined up the girl over the exact center of her desk, and then abruptly dropped her. She crashed onto her desk and cried out again. Alecto ignored her and called Zacharias Smith, who was visibly shaking, up to the front.

By the time Alecto was done, every student in the room, save Ginny, seemed to be holding themselves in an attempt to curl into a fetal position in their desks. The young girl had started crying, and continued to do so when Amycus walked to the front of the room.

"You have experience my sister's methods. Archaic and barbaric, but quite effective. I prefer a more modern, somewhat more refined method. Quite different, but no less effective. No Mr. Longbottom, stay seated. You will not be going first. I think the anticipation is the best part, do you not agree? We will start with Mr. Finnigan." Seamus walked to the front of the room clutching his left arm. He stood in front of Alecto and braced himself. "Hm, we shall need a chair…" Amycus waved his wand and a chair appeared behind Seamus. "We certainly would not want you to fall and split your skull."

Seamus sat down and looked up at Amycus. The look on Amycus's face reminded Neville disturbingly of a child at Christmas. Amycus raised his wand and began chanting softly. In spite of what Amycus said, Neville still expected Seamus to fly across the room. But Seamus remained seated. Even when Amycus finished chanting, the only noticeable effect was that Seamus moaned softly.

"My my," Amycus said. "You missed seeing your grandmother one last time so you could hear a Quidditch match on the radio…" Neville could only barely hear Amycus. He seemed to be talking to himself.

"What's happening?" Neville whispered softly.

"Legilimency." Ginny said. "He's invading Seamus's mind."

"So he's telling our secrets?"

"I think it's worse. I think he's making us relive them."

Neville looked back to Seamus. He still sat rigidly, but his hands gripped the arm rests of his chair. Tears welled in his eyes and ran down his cheeks. He started whimpering after a while, and Neville tried to not hear whatever Amycus was mumbling about now. All of Neville's worst memories cam flooding back to him. He looked off into a corner, and immediately tried not to think of anything at all, with little luck.

"There we go. Back to your seat, Finnigan," Amycus said as he lowered his wand. Seamus stood, but had both his arms wrapped around his chest. His eyes looked off into a back corner of the room. He shuffled back slowly and sat in a different desk than he had before. "Longbottom now, I think. Come on."

Again Neville had the sensation of simultaneously wanting to freeze in place or run for the door. Again he controlled the urge and walked slowly to the front of the room. He sat in the chair and looked and the floor, never once looking Amycus in the eyes.

"Look at me, Longbottom," Amycus said. Neville looked up into Amycus' eyes. They were black, small but full of a dark intelligence… and beneath that, a sort of primal fury. In that moment, Neville knew that all of Amycus' posturing was for show. Deep down, he was more or less like his sister.

After it was over, Neville somehow managed to walk to a seat and fall into it. He felt so confused, a moment ago he had been eleven years old, sitting in McGonagall office and being told he's lost fifty house points. Now he was older, in a different room with Ginny and Seamus, and he knew this was how it was supposed to be, but the memory had seemed so real. He would not fully work out everything until he was falling asleep in his dorm that night. For the moment, he just sat and stared at the wall, vaguely aware that the other students were going through the same thing.

Ginny sat down next to him, which brought him back to reality. She stared at a spot on the floor, hands folded on the desk in front of her, barely breathing.

"And now, for the grand finale!" Amycus said before letting out a wheezy laugh. He reached behind his desk and pulled out what looked like a small box. "This is called the Desensulator. It is a gift from the Da- ahem, from a good friend of the headmaster's. And of ours as well. You will line up and place your hand inside. Then you may leave."

The students looked up blearily, most of them still disoriented.

"Do it now!" Alecto shrieked. Zacharias Smith practically jumped out of his seat. Neville stood more slowly, and Ginny helped the blond girl stand and get in line.

Though Zacharias had been first to his feet, he managed to find his way to the very end of the line. Neville wound up just behind Ginny and in front of Seamus. Without hesitation, Ginny stuck her hand into the box. It glowed for a moment, then Ginny removed her hand. She looked at it curiously for a moment, and then Amycus told her to leave the room.

Neville was next. He stood in front of the device and hesitated for a moment. He looked at Amycus, who still wore that unsettling grin of suppressed malevolence.

"Do not worry. It will not hurt you," he said with his wheezy laugh. Neville wanted to give him a dirty look, but lacked the energy. He put his hand in the box and waited.

True enough, the thing didn't hurt him. It glowed, as it had with Ginny, and the only thing Neville seemed to notice was that his sinuses cleared out a bit. Somewhat confused, and both relieved and frightened, he left the room.

"What was that?" Neville asked. After everything the Carrows had done, it seemed very tame. Maybe it was broken or something. That would be great. Yet Ginny seemed to be registering alarm over something.

"Neville, I… I can't feel anything!"

"What?"

"I can't feel anything! Nothing!"

"You can't… you don't feel…" Neville still didn't understand what she was getting at.

"No, I mean when I touch something. I can't feel it. Nothing!" For the first time, Ginny looked somewhat panicked. "Can't you?"

Neville touched his own face. "No I can feel…

"Nev?" Seamus voice came from behind him. He's just left the classroom and had his arms out in front of him. "Nev, are you there? I can't see anything? What's happened?" Neville held out an arm to Seamus, who grabbed on to it.

"I think that thing… it must numb one of our senses," she said softly. "Neville, can you taste anything? Or smell?"

"I'm not sure." Neville breathed in deeply through his nose, but it was hard to tell. "I don't know. I don't have anything to test it on." Another student came out of the room. He seemed fine and started walking off without saying a word to anyone. The blond girl, however, also seemed to have lost her sight, and Ginny went up to steady her. Zacharias Smith came out a moment later, shouting that he was going to the hospital wing to get his hearing restored.

"Neville," Ginny said once Zacharias had left. "Take Seamus back to the common room. I'm going to take Sarah to the Hospital Wing to see if Madam Pomfrey can do something about her ankle.

"Shouldn't we all go?" Neville asked.

"I don't think so. Even if Madam Pomfrey could help, do you think Snape would let her?"

"She's right," Seamus said. "Come on, let's go." Just as they were leaving, the Carrows emerged from the classroom. Neville saw the Desensulator stuck under Amycus' arm.

"My my, what are all these students still doing here?" Amycus asked.

"If you want to complain, we won't listen," Alecto said. "So get out of here." She let out a wheezy laugh nearly identical to her brother's as the students began to clear out.

On the way to Gryffindor Tower, Neville realized what sense he had lost- smell. He almost told Seamus, then decided against it. Seamus' own condition was far worse than his own.

There were a number of students in the Common Room, but Neville didn't stop to talk to anyone. He just led Seamus directly to their room. A few students whispered as they passed, but no one asked anything, and Neville didn't want to explain. He led Seamus to his bed and helped him sit.

"This is fucked up, Nev," Seamus said rubbing his ankle. Neville had forgotten to tell him about the fake step and Seamus had slipped.

"I'm sorry Seamus, I never got the hang of that step."

"No, not that. This whole thing. All of it."

"Oh. Yeah," Neville agreed. He sniffed out of habit, and realized again he couldn't smell. As he drifted off to sleep, he heard Snape's voice mocking him.

"_Didn't keep your head down, Longbottom,"_ Snape said. _"Made a fool of yourself, didn't you?" _ He could hear the sneer in Snape's voice. _"And you were dealt with harshly."_


	5. Chapter 5: A Higher Standard

**Chapter 5: A Higher Standard**

Minerva McGonagall's heart sank as another blinded student was led into her classroom. Both the girl and her friend looked worried, as though they would be punished for being late. McGonagall made a show of looking away while the students sat down and went on with her lesson.

The previous week, Neville Longbottom had come to her and told her of the Carrow's vicious method of punishment. McGonagall knew the Carrows would be rough, but she never imagined they'd do anything as long lasting as this. Neville had only mentioned the sense-numbing, but the bruises she had seen on her students suggested he had left out plenty more. McGonagall tried to press some of them, and eventually learned the truth of the matter from some of the younger students. With no other option, she had appealed to Snape, though she knew it would be useless.

"The Carrows are in charge of discipline, Professor," Snape had said. "It is not your place to question their methods." He strode closer, clearly enjoying his position of power over her. "Nor is it your place to enforce the school rules at your own discretion. You're a professor, so I assume you can read them. All infractions must be reported, Minerva. If you fail to report any, you may find that you are not above punishment yourself."

"Alright class," McGonagall said, coming back to the present. "Please take out your pine cones, today we will be attempting to…" McGonagall cast a glace at the blind girl and her voice trailed off. She was fumbling blindly for her pine cone, which had fallen on the floor. Two other students were reading off scraps of parchment where their friends had written McGonagall's instructions. "Mr. Jones, if you would please close the door? Very good. Now, class, put away your pine cones." She waited for the students to comply, and again felt a wash of sympathy for the impaired students as she watched them struggle. "First, I must ask you to keep quiet about what I am going to teach you. In light of the actions of certain other teachers, I believe it would be prudent for you to know basic Occlumency. Occlumency allows you to defend yourself from attacks on your mind by concealing your thoughts. You will not be powerful enough to truly defend yourself, but some of you may learn some basic concealment." She looked around her class and, for the first time, saw hope in her students' faces.

.

"…And I had to Stun the plant before it swallowed him whole!" Pomona Sprout was saying. "I've had to put up fences around the more dangerous plants for the impaired students.

"It's nearly impossible for students in my class," Flitwick agreed. "How are they supposed to aim when they can't see?"

"And of course, we simply must write everything out for those without hearing," Professor Sinistra agreed. "It simply slows the lessons down too much. I have not covered even half of what I intended to by this point. Oh, and I hate to think what Hagrid must go through each day."

McGonagall and the other professors were having lunch in the teacher's lounge, at her suggestion. The Carrows always ate in the Great Hall, in hopes of finding a reason to give out detentions. Snape usually took his meals in his chambers, and Hagrid usually ate in his hut.

"It's hard on all of us," Professor Vector agreed. "But Professor Slughorn, your classes must be outright dangerous!"

"Oh yes, yes. Very dangerous," Slughorn said. He had reluctantly agreed to come to the private lunch, though he had remained quiet. McGonagall had only insisted he come because he was the head of Slytherin.

"Well I, for one, have not been reporting infractions," McGonagall said. She expected to cause some commotion with this announcement, but actually found most of the Professors agreeing with her.

"Oh yes. I simply will not report anything minor if the punishments are like that," Professor Sprout said. "And especially if the punishment caused the problem!"

"Here here," Flitwick said with a small clap.

"I still need the help I used to get from the students in detention," Professor Trelawney said. "The spirits sometimes prefer to speak to a less developed mind." McGonagall was pleased with the general agreement, and especially to see Slughorn nodding.

"So," McGonagall said once the others were done. "We are all in agreement, that the Carrows' methods are too harsh and counter-productive?" The teachers all nodded. "So, what are we going to do about it?" Her question was met with silence.

"D-do?" Slughorn finally croaked out. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't call you here so we could all complain, Professor," McGonagall said. "Our students are suffering. They are being physically and mentally tortured. We stood by once and allowed this to happen, I do not intend to do so again. While they are here we are not just their teachers, we are also their guardians." She paused and took a breath. "And I do not intend to allow Voldemort to simply do what he wishes with this school." There was a gasp from around the table. Slughorn mopped his brow furiously with a handkerchief, and Trelawney had gone paler than usual. Even McGonagall had a slight lump in her throat from saying the name.

"If you want to fight, then go off and fight!" Professor Vector shouted suddenly, rising to her feet. "Don't drag us into it! We don't want to end up like Amelia Bones, or Emmeline Vance, or Dumble…" She broke off abruptly. McGonagall stared her down. Vector looked away and returned to her seat.

"I have already explained the situation, and told you why we must act. Any who do not wish to do so may leave not. I will not force you. That is their way, not ours." She paused, but no one got up. "You have all already been resisting. You have just told me so, by not giving into the Carrows' every demand. And Professor Slughorn, you have slipped certain students numbing potions. Don't deny it, I saw you give Ginny Weasley one the other day. I myself have been teaching my students basic Occlumency, in hopes it may help.

"All I am asking you to do is now defy them openly. Stand up for this school, stand up for yourselves and your students."

"I'm with you," Sprout said at once.

"Me too," Flitwick piped in. Most of the other teachers also voiced agreement, but we cut off when the door to the staffroom swung open.

Professor Snape strode in slowly, surveying the room. If he found anything amiss, he said nothing.

"Professors," he said eventually. "I was hoping I might find you all here. I was hoping to have a word with you."

"Go on, Headmaster. We're all here, I believe." Only Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall herself would meet his gaze. McGonagall hoped the guilty looks on the other Professors' faces wouldn't arouse Snape's suspicion.

"You choice of dining location is interesting. Though I can't blame you for wanting a meal away from those screaming children," Snape said. "I am calling a staff meeting tonight. In here, at eight. You all are required to be there.

"A staff meeting? What for?" Professor Sinistra asked.

"You will find out tonight. It would be most unwise to be late." Snape left the room as quickly as he had entered, closing the door behind him.

"You don't think he was listening, do you?" Professor Slughorn said as he resumed mopping his brow.

"We will find out tonight," McGonagall said. "In fact, this meeting may be a good thing. It will give them a chance to see us all together, to remind them that we outnumber them considerably. We will let them know that we will not tolerate their behavior. Now, I believe our classes will be starting again soon. Stand strong." She stood up and looked over the teachers before leaving, wondering if it was wise to trust them.

.

McGonagall arrived at the staffroom fifteen minutes before eight. A few other teachers had already arrived, including Binns, Slughorn, Flitwick, and…

"Professor! Good ter see yeh!"

"Hagrid," McGonagall said before being swallowed in a hug. "It is good to see you too."

"I don't know abou that." Hagrid said. "Not that it's bad ter see yeh, but the circumstances…"

"I agree," McGonagall said wearily. "Here, sit down with me."

"I'm glad it's fer everyone though. When they came ter my hut, I was worried Malfoy was causing more trouble fer me."

"Whatever it is, Hagrid, we're all in it together." She took a few minutes to explain what they had discussed at lunch. As she expected, Hagrid offered his full support. After that they sat in silence as the rest of the teachers trickled in. At exactly eight, the door opened one final time.

Snape led the way in, following immediately by Amycus and Alecto Carrow. Those three were expected, but McGonagall nearly jumped for her wand when she saw the others enter the room.

McGonagall recognized Bellatrix's cold, pale skin and wild black hair the moment she saw her. Fenrir Greyback was also easy to spot. It took her a moment more to place Antonin Dolohov's face, who closed the door behind him.

"You may put your wad away, Professor Flitwik. This is a peaceable meeting," Snape said. "At least, that is my intention." Flitwik had been somewhat on edge around Snape since Snape had Stunned him during the fight at the end of the previous year. Flitwik lowered his wand to his side but did not put it away.

"It had come to my attention that some of you have decided the school rules only suit you when you like. Many of you have been using the previous year's system of punishment, rather than the current one, or outright-"

"Some of you have chosen to simply take the rules of this institution into your own hands!" Amycus Carrow interrupted, looking directly at Professor Trelawney as he spoke. "Well! Consider this a warning: If you continue to implement outdated methods of punishment, you will be punished, and potentially removed from you position as teacher."

"Thank you, Professor Carrow," Snape cut in, giving Amycus a dirty sneer. "We will also be making a list of offenses. I fear some of you may be growing addled in your old age, and forgetting what you're supposed to punish students for. Now you will have a list, to avoid confusion. Such offense such as tardiness, failure to do homework, and disrespecting professors will be on the list. Until then, report to me and I shall make a decision about punishment." McGonagall looked around the room. Most of the teachers looked unimpressed, though Trelawney had been staring into a corner since Amycus made eye contact with her. Amycus himself looked annoyed, and Bellatrix rolled her eyes behind Snape's back.

"Tardiness is often the result of your detentions," McGonagall said suddenly. "How can the students make it to class or do their homework when they can't see?"

"And it's dangerous!" Flitwik added. "Students will miss instructions and can't properly aim at targets."

"And… and in potions, some students have very nearly mixed some dangerous substances by mistake." Slughorn put in quickly. Sprout looked like she was about to say something when Alecto spoke up.

"So what?" Alecto said. "You're the teachers. It's your job to make sure the students don't kill themselves, so do it!"

"It's also our job to make sure no one else kills our students either," McGonagall said. Alecto turned red, as did Amycus next to her. They both looked like small, lumpy volcanoes.

"That's enough, Minerva," Snape said before the Carrows could speak. "We have a matter that concerns solely you."

"Oh my, yes," Amycus said, regaining his composure. McGonagall looked back and forth between Snape and Amycus. She thought of the other Death Eaters, and he hand slipped to her wand. "I may not be the most accomplished Legilimens," Amycus began. "But even I can tell when certain memories and fears I previously had access too in a child's mind have become sealed off or vanished. Someone has been teaching them Occlumency." He stared right at McGonagall. "Professor McGonagall, of the entire Hogwarts staff, only myself, Professor Snape, and you have studied any Occlumency. I have certainly not been teaching it, and I doubt…"

"Yes, I taught Occlumency," McGonagall said. "I cannot sit idly by while children are tortured."

"So you admit it?"

"I'm proud of it."

"That is most unfortunate, Professor," Amycus said.

"You don't frighten me, Amycus Carrow," McGonagall said. "I'm not some helpless child. I can defend myself. I won't put my hand in that thing you have."

"Professor McGonagall," Amycus said. "You are not a student, and should not expect to punished like one. Teachers should be held to a higher standard, and their punishment should be raised accordingly." Faster than McGonagall would have thought, Amycus raised his wand. "_Crucio!"_

Pain wracked McGonagall body. Sometimes it took a form, burning or crushing, but mostly it was just a general pain that only seemed to increase. She realized she'd fallen out of her chair, thrashing, but did not scream. She would not scream. Her arms and legs would sometimes hit something, and every time she heard Alecto laugh.

"That's enough, Amycus," Snape said after what felt like hours, but the pain did not relent. "Enough!" Snape said more fervently, and this time the pain did stop. McGonagall stayed on the floor, breathing heavily and trying to remain conscious.

"What's wrong, Headmaster?" Amycus practically spat the last word. "Weak stomach?"

"I just think too many unpleasant questions would be asked if one of our professors wound up like the Longbottoms," Snape said. "They'd probably make me take care of her."

"Well," Amycus said, "you are in charge, Headmaster."

As McGonagall managed to focus her eyes, she was just able to make out the blurry shapes of Amycus and Snape staring each other down. Her glasses must have fallen off while she thrashed. Farther away, she saw Flitwick's diminutive form pointing his wand at some of the other Death Eaters.

"I most certainly am," Snape said. "This meeting is adjourned." Snape waited as the Carrows left the room, quickly followed by the other Death Eaters, who seemed eager to leave. Before leaving himself, Snape knelt down next to McGonagall. "Don't waste any energy trying to get rid of them. You'll get the same treatment, and any one of the others you just saw are ready to replace them." Snape stood, looked at the other professors, then left.

Immediately after, and number of people crowded around her. She saw Slughorn and Hagrid, but her vision was starting to dim.

"Doesn't look good…"

"… think there's some blood."

"…Madam Pomfrey will…"

"…her up, Hagrid, and take…"

She felt herself hoisted off the ground into strong arms, even as she lost her own grip on consciousness.

.

"Where am I" McGonagall asked the moment she was sure she was awake.

"In your quarters," Professor Sprout said softly.

"What… what happened?"

"Amycus Carrow used the Cruciatus Curse on you," Sprout said. "We thought…"

"No, after that. After I…" McGonagall trailed off. She knew she was getting on in her age, but she thought she could stand the Cruciatus Curse for a short time without passing out.

"Most of the other professors left," Flitwick said. "If they were trying to make an example of you, it worked."

"Most?"

"Sinistra, Vector, Trelawney- no surprise there- Binns as well…"

"Who stayed?" McGonagall interrupted.

"Well we did, obviously," Sprout said. "Hagrid's just outside. Slughorn as well. He's brewing something for you right now."

"I see." It was a lot to take in. Everything had been going so well at lunch."

"We could still do something," Professor Flitwick said. "The Carrows think they're smart, but they're not. We could easily isolate them, and…"

"No," McGonagall said. "No, we can't get rid of them." She knew where Flitwick had been going, and had considered it herself. "If they're gone, they'll be replaced by Antonin Dolohov, or Bellatrix, or Greyback." McGonagall shuddered as she thought of what Bellatrix might do in Defense Against the Dark Arts, or Greyback might do around children in general.

At this point, Slughorn came back into the room. He carried a small orange potion that occasionally sent little bubble up into the air.

"Here, Minerva," he said, offering her the potion. "This will help you recover, but it will put you to sleep."

"Thank you, Horace," She said. "I'll have it in a moment."

"Very good then. I, ah, need to be going now, but… well, be sure you drink that." Slughorn bowed slightly and left.

"You don't intend to give up, do you?" Flitwik asked.

"Not at all. Certainly not," McGonagall said.

"So, what then?" Sprout asked.

McGonagall sighed, then swallowed Slughorn's potion. It felt warm as it went down.

"Whatever we can."


	6. Chapter 6: Dumbledore's Army Reformed

Chapter Six: Dumbledore's Army Reformed

Amycus' speech was exactly the same as before. Word for word, pause for pause, breath for breath. Neville wondered if he'd know it by heart by the end of the year. Perhaps he'd written it down and practiced. However, there was an extra bit tagged on the end.

"Also," he said, "for any student suspected of using Occlumency to… escape their punishment, I shall allow my sister to punish you… for as long as she sees fit, and will receive another detention the next day."

"Who's using Occlumency?" Neville asked Ginny in a whisper.

"I heard it was McGonagall," Ginny said.

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. Maybe she was trying to help?"

"There is still no speaking during detention," Amycus Carrow said. "Why you insist on doing it here, rather than in class when called to do so remains a mystery." Neville stared at the back of Amycus' head as he walked back to the front of the room. Amycus had given Neville the detention when Neville refused to answer a question concerning the development of the Cruciatus Curse. Ginny refused to answer anything either Carrow asked her, which had earned her several detentions. Today she was in detention for defending Neville, however.

"_It's not so bad," she'd told Neville. "That first day, Slughorn gave me a potion that dulls pain. He keeps giving it to me when he hears I have detention. And anyone in the Slug Club." _

Neville knew that was a lie, as Ginny frequently split the potion among the younger students, leaving none for herself.

The detention progressed normally after the introduction. Alecto seemed especially harsh on Neville and Ginny. Now that Neville knew exactly what was going to happen, it usually wasn't as bad. Still painful, but a little easier to bear. Alecto knew many spells to cause pain, but after the first week she tended to stick to some of her favorites. Neither he nor Ginny gave Alecto the pleasure of a scream. Ginny was tortured for eight full minutes, while Neville got off with only three.

Amycus' bit was also growing easier to bear. Going into it, Neville reminded himself that it was all just an illusion, nothing real. Between his constant nightmares and the last two detentions, Neville found his fears and secrets a little easier to deal with. However, he suspected Amycus would soon grow more creative.

Luna was up immediately after him. She couldn't actually recall what she had done to get detention. Neville was worried she had accidentally wandered in by mistake, without actually having done anything.

Luna seemed to take the physical punishment very well. She seemed discomforted, but never in any outright pain. Neville briefly wondered if Luna was able to stop paying attention to her own body, as well as the world around it.

Amycus, however, was able to get to her. He was able to get to everyone to some degree. He could only hear snatches of Amycus' mumbling, but what he heard sounded like "mother," "ashamed" and "discredited fool." Luna whimpered somewhat, and shook in her seat once she sat down afterwards, staring strait ahead. Neville laid a hand on her shoulder, which she abruptly grabbed, squeezed, and dropped without looking back at him.

This week, Ernie MacMillan was the last student to go up. He'd gotten in a shouting match with Blaise Zabini after Blaise had said something to Hannah. Blaise, of course, had been let off, though to his credit he did look surprised. Ernie took both punishments as well as could be expected. When Amycus finished with him, Alecto brought out the Desensulator.

As they lined up, Neville realized he'd been dreading this part most of all; the waiting, not necessarily the actual effects. Amycus and Alecto did basically the same things over and over, but the Desensulator might do anything. It might cause anything from the mild unpleasantness of not tasting your dinner to not being able to see or hear for a whole day. Neville would hate to go without his sight, though it was bound to happen sooner or later. Without his eyes he'd be helpless.

And then it was his turn. He stuck his hand in, felt nothing like always, and then continued to do so. On his way out, he realized the lingering pain Alecto had inflicted had vanished. He'd lost all feeling.

Ginny came out behind him, sniffing and moving her tongue around. "Taste," she said at last. "Can't wait for dinner."

"Touch, here," Neville said. "Is it bad?"

"Not so bad. You just have to be careful not to hurt yourself, because you won't feel it."

"Right."

Luna stumbled out afterwards. She seemed to have recovered from Amycus' Legilimency, and she was now announcing that the Eyeball Sucking Gaflornas had finally caught up with her.

"I thought I would be safe here, but it seems I was mistaken." Luna sighed heavily.

"Luna, no, that thing that you put your hand in, that's what it does," Ginny explained.

"That box? Don't be silly. Who would make such a thing? That would be terrible. No, the Galfornas have been after me since my father revealed them to the world four years ago." She sighed again. "I knew it was only a matter of time. Well, I suppose I should get used to being blind." Luna stuck her hands out in front of her and began walking around, searching for a wall to brace against.

"She's even more Loony than I thought!" Neville turned to see Draco Malfoy standing nearby, a pack of Slytherins behind him. They all laughed as Ernie walked out of the room.

"Neville, Ginny, I seem to have lost my sense of hearing," Ernie announced loudly. This brought another wave of laughter from the Slytherins. Ernie turned, finally seeing them, and realized what was going on.

"Look at this!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. "They've been made into cripples!" She stuck out her foot and tripped and unfortunate third-year who had been blinded. "You were right, Draco. This is hilarious!"

"I know! That little Weasley shop can't be more fun than this!" Draco said between laughs.

"You would be one to pick on people at their weakest, Malfoy," Ernie said loudly. "Yet I didn't see you here when we were walking in." Ginny laughed a little as Draco turned red.

"At least I'm smart enough to know my betters and keep my mouth shut," Draco retorted, though his voice lacked some conviction. Ginny glared at him, but Draco seemed unconcerned. "Go on, little Weasel." Ginny's hand dropped to her wand, but she didn't actually touch it. "Go ahead and get yourself another detention. I don't have any plans tomorrow afternoon. We can do this again."

"Get Ernie, Neville," Ginny said through grit teeth as she put an arm around Luna. "Make sure he gets back." The four of them started walking down the corridor, Ernie loudly asking where they were going, and Luna trying to figure out how she would have to learn to smell better so she could find the foods she liked.

Malfoy's voice followed them down the corridor. "Never thought I'd see you back down, little Weasel!" Ginny's hand shook as she turned red, but she didn't turn or answer back.

"I'll take Luna to Ravenclaw Tower. Can you handle Ernie?"

"No problem," Neville said. He pulled out a scrap of parchment and jotted down_ taking you to your common-room._

"Oh, very good. Do you know the way?" Ernie asked. Neville nodded. "Then lead on."

Neville almost took a wrong turn once, but Ernie steered him in the right direction. Beyond that, Neville did fine. As they neared the Hufflepuff common-room they rounded a corner and nearly bumped into Hannah.

Neville suddenly felt very flustered. He hadn't spoken with Hannah since Luna's intervention a few weeks ago. He'd actually been trying to avoid her, hoping she might have forgotten.

"Oh, Ernie, Neville. Hello," she said.

"H-hi," Neville said.

"Hello," Ernie said.

"How was detention?" She asked.

"Detention?" Ernie asked, still speaking loudly. Neville nodded. "Dreadful. No, that doesn't do it justice. Hannah, it was one of the worst experiences of my life." Hannah looked horrified.

"It, ah, it gets easier the more you do it," Neville said, attempting to comfort him. He quickly wrote it down for Ernie.

"You have been through that hell more than once?" Ernie seemed surprised.

"This was my third. That's nothing, Ginny's had eight."

"Oh my…" Hannah said, her voice trailing off.

"Anyway, Neville, you have my thanks for taking me this far. I shall not keep you any longer; Hannah can lead me back from here."

"Neville? What's wrong with Ernie?" Hannah asked.

"Oh. The Carrows, they… well that have this thing that numbs one of your senses for a day."

"I knew something was going on with that, but I didn't know they were causing it."

"They are," Neville said. "Ernie lost his hearing, but he'll be fine tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure he got here all right and had someone to watch out for him."

"Well that's very nice of you, Neville," Hannah said.

"Oh, I guess," Neville stammered. "I mean, Ernie would do the same for me."

"I suppose he would." She glanced at Ernie who was starting to look somewhat annoyed. "Anyway, we should get going."

"I could come with you," Neville said suddenly. "Make sure you get there ok."

"Thank, but we'll be fine," Hannah said, smiling. Neville managed to smile back. "Bye, Neville."

"Bye, Hannah. Bye, Ernie."

"Goodbye, Neville! Again, you have my thanks." The two of them turned and walked down a staircase.

.

"Neville, you're late!" Seamus announced as Neville pulled himself through the portrait hole.

"Yeah, sorry. I got a bit lost after dropping Ernie off," Neville said as he dropped into an armchair. In truth, he'd walked the halls for a while, analyzing his conversation with Hannah and coming to no conclusions. "I just barely managed to get some dinner before they closed the Great Hall."

"Well, at least you got some food. I'd hate to have detention and then miss dinner."

"Yeah, that would be horrible," Neville said flatly.

"You alright, mate?"

"I'm fine. I'm…" he trailed off a took a deep breath. "I just had a bad day." Neville stared into the fire for a moment. "I think I'm going to call it an early night."

"Alright. Feel better in the morning."

Neville laid down in his big, four poster bed. He pulled the curtains in a vain attempt to block the noise and light from the common-room. He hadn't gone to bed so early since his first year.

He lay in bed for a long time, thinking over the year so far. He'd tried to keep his head down. He'd tried to keep from speaking up in the Carrows classes, and he tried to never even be in the same room as Snape if he could avoid it. Even when Alecto contradicted things he'd seen himself, he held his tongue. He suspected Amycus knew about his parents, why else ask him specifically about the Cruciatus Curse? He avoided Draco as well, but Draco was liable to seek him out sometimes. He rolled over and wished Harry was around.

Seamus came in around ten. Neville wasn't in the mood to talk, so he pretended to be asleep. Seamus pulled his own curtains, and soon his breathing grew slow and regular, yet sleep still eluded Neville. Which was why he noticed when the door opened again. It still was fairly late. The common-room was dark and no voices drifted up through the door.

"Seamus. Seamus, wake up."

"Wha-? Ginny, is that you? What time is it?"

"Don't worry about it." Neville heard her footsteps cross the room toward his bed.

"Neville-"

"I'm awake," he said.

"Good," she said. "I need to talk to you both."

"What's this all about, then?" Seamus asked. The three of them sat in the middle of the dorm room. Neville and Seamus had their blankets draped over their shoulders for warmth.

"I've been thinking," Ginny said. "I've been thinking a lot, ever since we got here." She took a deep breath. "A lot of things are wrong here, this year. You know that. I think it's time for us to stop sitting around and taking it."

"What are you saying?" Seamus asked.

"I think we need to reform Dumbledore's Army," she said.

A thousand thoughts flew into Neville's head. The first meeting at the Hog's Head, the first time he disarmed someone, talking with Luna, Hermione and Harry, the companionship he felt for Ron and Dean, raiding the Department of Mysteries, and that terrible moment when Dumbledore's Army had been found out.

"You think so, Ginny?" Seamus asked. "Do we really need to be learning spells?"

"We won't just be learning spells. We'll try to thwart the Carrows and Snape in any way we can, and help the students out as well. Protect them."

Seamus pondered this for a short moment. "I like it. Let's do it. I'm tired of just putting up with all this shit."

And so they both turned to Neville. "Ginny, I don't know…"

"What?"

"We should leave it to the teachers. They'll handle it."

"They've done a great job so far," Ginny said. "Trelawney and Slughorn are really going to put themselves on the line for us."

"It's not a game this time, Ginny!" Neville said louder than he meant to. "Umbridge was cruel, but the Carrows are actually dangerous. They'd kill us!"

"That's why we need to do something. They're going to kill someone if we don't!" Ginny said back. "So was it just a game when we went to the Department of Mysteries?"

"And that worked out so well!"

Ginny started at him but said nothing. After a moment she looked back to Seamus.

"Fine, we don't need him. Seamus, we'll talk more tomorrow at breakfast." Ginny stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"You really made her angry, Nev," Seamus said.

"I… I just want to keep my head down…"

Seamus shrugged and said nothing. They both went back to their beds and soon fell asleep.

.

Breakfast the next morning was terrible. Ginny grabbed Seamus before he could sit with Neville and sat with him at the end of the table. He was left next to Parvati and Lavender, whom he didn't particularly want to talk to. He glanced to the end of the table frequently and saw Ginny handling a Galleon.

Ginny continued to talk to him on the way to Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid had finally moved on from the Fire Newts. After intense pressure from McGonagall, Hagird had been persuaded to have a lesson every now and then where he discussed certain dangerous creatures that even the seventh-years would not be allowed to handle in class.

"Now, the Hungarian Horntail, tha's one Dragon yer don't wan' to tangle with in the wild. Migh' be fine if raised domestically, but no one's ever tried…" Hagrid's wistful tone when discussing one of the most dangerous creatures alive was unsurprising. Neville remembered the Skrewts, and of course, he would never forget Fluffy. "Harry Potter, he was able to outsmart one of em'. I'm sure most o' yeh remember that." Lavender Brown shuddered at the memory, as Harry had very nearly been killed.

"Surely you're not praising Undesirable Number One?" Theodore Nott questioned.

"I'll praise who I please, and you'll not interrupt me, Nott," Hagrid said with a snort. Yet after that he went on to a different type of dragon and didn't mention Harry again. Neville tried hard to listen, but kept getting distracted when Ginny would pass small bits of parchment to Parvati and Lavender.

When lunch time came, Neville was able to get to Seamus before Ginny. They sat together between some fourth-years.

"How mad is Ginny?" Neville asked.

"She's pretty angry, Nev," Seamus answered. "Furious, actually. She was really counting on the both of us, I think." Neville's heart sank. "I think she's overreacting, but… I do think she's right, mate. You've seen what the Carrows do, and they've been getting worse. And Merlin knows what Snape is up to."

"I-I'm not saying I won't help people who need it," Neville said. "I'm a prefect. And even if I wasn't… but I'm not going to go out and look for trouble. That's just… it's not a good idea."

"It's alright mate. I'm not going to stop talking to you or anything."

"Oh. That's good then."

Yet something still bothered him, to the point that he barely had an appetite. He finished his lunch, barely tasting it. It came to him as he started off down the hall for his afternoon classes. Seamus wasn't angry because he hadn't expected anything from Neville. In some ways, that was worse than Ginny's anger.

He didn't talk much during potions. Slughorn was teaching them about a personal favorite subject of his, the Searing Solution.

"This potion saved my life once. Twenty years ago, I was attacked by some Dea- some ruffians, and I had several bottles of it in my pocket. I flung the potion into their eyes and ran." He went on to explain that the potion caused a burning sensation when it touched the skin, but could be used to harmlessly heat other things without the use of fire. To demonstrate, Slughorn used some of it to cook a large piece of meat, and then gave the students a piece of meat when the successfully made the potion themselves. Neville somehow managed to make one, after several tries. His mind was occupied.

On the way to dinner, he saw Ginny walking into the Great Hall with Hannah. Ginny was saying something, and Hannah was nodding excitedly. Ginny looked back and Neville before they went in the hall, but said nothing to him.

"_Hannah's rejoining,"_ Neville realized glumly. He saw Hannah give Ginny one last excited nod just inside the Great Hall before they sat at their respective tables.

Neville sat alone near the door, not really wanting to talk to anyone. Ginny had a number of older students crowding around her, though she was trying to get them to sit down so as not to bed so suspicious. Neville tried not to listen. He ate a little, but still found his appetite waning.

He was walking back to the common-room ahead of the crowd when a dreamy voice called after him. "Neville! Neville, please wait a moment!" Neville turned and saw Luna. He waited for her to catch up.

"Neville, I believe you were correct."

"About what?"

"My eyes. I can see again, so I suppose it must not have been the Gaflornas after all."

Neville chuckled a little. "That's good then."

"I agree. Oh, do you know when the meeting is? Ginevra just told me, but I seem to have forgotten."

"I'm not involved with that," Neville said.

"You're not?" Luna sounded disappointed. "You did make the meeting so much more fun last time."

"Only because I kept messing up."

"That's not true. It was encouraging to see you learning. It made me realize that I could learn too."

"It's not going to be about learning spells this year. It's going to be… something else, I don't know."

"Well, I hope you reconsider. It was always nice to see you there."

Neville shrugged and walked away. He walked the halls for over an hour. He enjoyed walking after having to stay inside nearly all summer. It also gave him time to think, and he needed to do some thinking.

It wasn't that he didn't want to help. It was like he told Seamus- if he saw Draco or even the Carrows attacking a student or anything like that, he'd help out. And if he happened to see Snape drop Gryffindor's sword or something, he'd snatch it up. And if he saw Blaise Zabini, or anyone, trying to harass Hannah, he'd handle that too. But for now, the Carrows weren't so bad. They were Death Eaters, sure, and quite cruel, but they hadn't put anyone in serious danger. But if they went up against them, they might get more people hurt, or worse. The Carrows had never come close to killing a student yet, not directly anyway. But who knew how they would react if they had direct opposition?

And Snape. He didn't even want to think about what Snape might do.

His thoughts went back and forth for over an hour, and he still felt ill at ease. He decided to head back to Gryffindor Tower.

He was jerked from his thoughts when something shattered on the floor behind him.

"Oh drat, I missed," a voice called from the ceiling. "And such a large target too!"

"Go away, Peeves," Neville said.

"Oh no, I must make up for missing you!"

"It's really alright," Neville said with a groan, knowing Peeves wouldn't leave unless another target came around. Peeves had rather enjoyed tormenting Neville in particular for the last six years.

"So what are you up to this time, Longbottom? Going to lose more points for your House? Going on another Adventure? I hope the Heir doesn't start following you again!"

"That's not funny," Neville said angrily. During his second year, Peeves had made Neville think the heir of Slytherin had followed him around the school for a week. Though Neville now knew it was Peeves, he sometimes still had nightmares about it. "Gryffindor's already in last place. Negative one hundred! And it keeps going down oh-so-fast!" Neville ignored him and kept walking. "Or are you stalking the pretty Hufflepuff girl?" Neville looked at Peeves and nearly shouted, but another voice sounded from down the corridor.

"Peeves!" Neville recognized the voice as Trelawney's. "Peeves, where is my crystal ball?"

"You'll have to come and find it!" Peeves called back.

"I'll get the Carrows, Peeves! I will!"

"Well, I need to be going, Longbottom," Peeves said. "We'll talk another time. Watch out for snakes!" Peeves zoomed away down the corridor and was soon out of sight.

Neville looked around and sighed. In his effort to get Peeves off his tail, he'd walked far off his intended course. He was near the headmaster's office.

He was about to turn back for Gryffindor Tower when he heard the stone gargoyle move. He looked back to see what was happening before he realized Snape was probably coming out. Fighting a mounting panic, he tried to walk a little faster but soon heard voices behind him.

"… monitoring the incoming owls. His hasn't been to the school," Snape was saying.

"You should check every letter, not just look for his bloody owl." The voice sent chills down Neville's spine. He fought the urge to run away, knowing it would only attract attention. Perhaps if he could round the corner ahead, he could duck behind a suit of armor and they'd walk right past.

"Every letter, Bellatrix?" Snape said with a snort. "Do you have the slightest idea how many letters come to and from here every day? It would be impossible!" He paused. "Unless you're volunteering…"

"If you can't even scan the mail, perhaps you should not…" Bellatrix voice grew darker. "There's someone there!"

Her words froze Neville to the spot. Behind, both of them stopped walking for a moment. Then Snape's heavy footsteps caught up to him and roughly turned him around.

"It's just- a student. No one of concern."

"I think I recognize him from somewhere." Bellatrix said. "He looks familiar…" Neville knew he had changed physically in the past few years. Maybe Bellatrix wouldn't recognize him. She hadn't gotten a very good look last time, as far as he knew. "Oh I know! It's the Longbottom boy!" Neville felt his heart sink. "How are you parents doing these days? In Saint Mungo's, I hear." In a moment of pure desperation, Neville looked to Snape, but the Headmaster's face gave nothing away. "Oh we were such friends!" Bellatrix tried to sound like a friendly old aunt. "It's been so long since I've seen them. Last time, they were just screaming with delight!" She tapped a finger on her chin. "I ought to go visit them again sometime, what do you think? Yes, I think it's a fine idea!"

"You stay away from them." Neville's voice shook, but he did not stutter. He found that he shook with rage, not fear. His blood was boiling now, his face felt hot.

"How adorable. Little Longbottom, watching out for his parents!" Bellatrix shrieked with cold, high laughter. "Why is that? They certainly haven't done much for you the past ten years."

"Are you quite done?" Snape said. "I was under the impression you had business here." Bellatrix glared at Snape for a moment. "Longbottom is a wizard of no consequence, not worth wasting time over. Come." Snape led Bellatrix away and soon they began talking about something else.

As soon as they passed out of sight, Neville thought of a thousand jinxes and curses he would have used on them. He drew his wand, but put it away. He was no fool. Charging after them was a sure fire way to get killed. He'd seen Belletrix fight two years ago, and Snape…

He put his wand away and slowly began to walk again. He picked up speed as he went, however, and was nearly running by the time he reached Gryffindor Tower.

He practically jumped through the portrait hole when he arrived and looked around the common-room. He saw Seamus, Ginny, and a few others talking in a corner.

Ginny noticed him as he approached. She scowled at him, but Neville spoke before she got a chance.

"Ginny, I'm in."


	7. Chapter 7: The Reformation

**Chapter Seven: The Reformation**

Ginny met with Neville, Seamus, and Luna the following afternoon in the library, under the pretense of studying.

"Neville, it's so good to see you've changed your mind," Luna said brightly. "Your energy feels much better today."

"Thanks," Neville said confusedly. He was pretty sure that was a complement. Luna smiled, then lazily turned to look at something over Seamus's head.

"Alright," Ginny said, looking through her advanced spellbook. "I'm really counting on you guys to help out. We're not just going to be learning spells. In fact," She flipped a few more pages. "I think that will only be a small part of what we do. Mainly the younger students will work on their magic. I think most of us know how to handle ourselves."

"Then why are you looking up spells?" Seamus asked.

"I'm looking for the Protean Charm," Ginny replied. "Not all the older members still have their Galleons, and the new members will need some too."

"Oh, you should have said." Luna attention had diverted back to them. "I think I could do the Protean Charm."

"Really?" Gunny seemed surprised.

"Oh yes. My father uses it to coordinate with some of his staff writers. Let them know when a story breaks."

"How come you never mentioned that before?"

"He only started using it recently. After the interview with Harry, actually."

"Well, good. Here, I've just found it, so go over and it make sure you have it right."

Ginny passed the book to Luna, who laid the book down in front of her, though her eyes didn't seem to focus on the page. "Anyway, right now, all we need to do is think of a place and time to meet."

"There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up," Seamus suggested. "We could meet at the Hog's Head. That's where it was the first time, right?"

"That might work," Ginny said. "But it might not. A lot of parents have restricted Hogsmeade visitations. I know Hannah and Ernie's have, at the least."

"How about the Room of Requirement?" Neville asked. "I think that place worked well last time. And everyone could come."

"That sounds good," Ginny said. "Oh, and if we come back from Hogsmeade early, the castle will be mostly empty. Less likely to attract attention." Luna and Seamus both agreed.

"So, are we going to give the Galleons to everyone?" Seamus asked.

"I think it would be better to quietly spread the word. It will avoid any confusion." Neville couldn't help but admire how easily Ginny took charge. Even Harry seemed uneasy a lot of the time. "For now, just tell the old members. We'll worry about recruiting later.

"You don't think we should try to get as many people as we can?" Seamus asked.

"Eventually, but not yet. We don't have to have to worry about new people not being able to get into the Room. We'll discuss it more at the meeting.

"I really think a few new people."

"We'll talk about it at the meeting, Seamus. For now we just want to get the old members back." Seamus looked like he wanted to argue more, but Neville shook his head at him. He didn't want any internal conflict before they even got started. "Now, besides teaching, I think we need to act as more of a resistance. We need to-"

"I don't think we should talk about this here," Luna said suddenly. "We don't know who could be listening." As if on cue, a group of Slytherins walked into the library and took a seat not too far away.

"Alright, we'll talk about it later," Ginny said. "At the meeting. For now, let's leave. And spread the word among the old members." They got up and left for their respective common-rooms. Luna read the spellbook as she walked, though she had now turned the book upside down.

.

"You told who?" Ginny shouted. Her eyes grew wide and her fists clenched.

"Some Ravenclaws," Neville said, unsure why she was so angry. "Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein Oh, and Zacharias Smith."

"Zacharias and Michael!" Ginny repeated. "Neville, what were you thinking?"

"Ginny, what…"

"Neville," Ginny shook he head in frustration. "Don't you remember how Zacharias Smith was last time? What an annoying git he was?" Neville thought for a moment and it came back to him. "We can't trust him. He'd crack if the Carrows so much as look at him wrong."

Ginny, come on. Zach, he knows a lot about magic, he…" Seamus tried to defend Neville, but his heart clearly wasn't in it.

"Well, nothing we can do now. Just have to hope they don't show," she said calmly. Neville nearly asked what was wrong with Michael, but thought better of it. "And you did get Terry and Anthony. That's good. So, who all said they were going to come? I told Hannah and Ernie. Neville, you got the four Ravenclaws, that makes eight. Luna's coming, that's nine, and she told Padma and Susan Bones that's ten. Three of us make thirteen. Seamus, you told…'

"Lavender, Parvati,"

"Good, that's fifteen.

"And, uh…" Seamus went on. "I think a few others might have overheard me. I thought it best to tell them…"

"What?"

"Didn't want them to get suspicious, did I? Start asking around?" Seamus said. "They're all Gryffindors, it'll be fine."

"Seamus, we agreed not to tell anyone new."

"It was an accident."

"Oh, sure," Ginny said. "And Demelza wasn't one of them, then?"

"I wish you wouldn't fight…" Luna said to no one in particular.

"Stay out of it, Luna," Seamus said harshly. Luna looked at him curiously but did not seem offended.

"Hey, Seamus, who did you tell?" Neville asked.

"Euan, Deladus, and Demelza."

"Those are all good people," Neville said. "They get good grades, and they all hate the Carrows as much as we do. You were on the Quidditch team with Demelza."

"It's done, Ginny. Let's just make the best of it," Seamus said.

"And I'm sure Demelza's constant flirting with Seamus had nothing to do with it."

"Even if it did, so what?" Neville said. "She's good witch, and we can trust her. Deladus's uncle is in the Order, and has been since the very beginning."

"And Euan Abercrombie's name is simply fascinating," Luna put in. They all looked at her and started smiling a bit.

"Alright, fine. Just don't let it happen again, Seamus."

"It won't," Seamus said.

"I'll be going back to my Tower now," Luna said. They had been standing in a hallway not too far from the portrait of the Fat Lady. She waved to everyone, though Neville could have sworn her smile grew a little more lucid when she looked at him. He felt confused as he climbed through the portrait hole.

.

By the next morning, Ginny was in such a good mood that she had completely forgotten her annoyance at Seamus and Neville. Her good mood lasted all week, and she managed to avoid mouthing off to the Carrows and getting detention.

Seamus was not so lucky. Crabbe and Goyle had cornered him in the dungeon after Potions one day. Seamus drew his wand as they closed in, and Draco Malfoy appeared around the corner at that exact moment, with Amycus Carrow in tow. He got detention for drawing his wand on another student.

Otherwise, the week progressed smoothly. The old members were all very excited about the meeting, as were he new. Deladus Diggle had to be told to stop being so noticeably excited, lest someone start to wonder why. Though by the time Saturday came around, Ginny began to show some signs of nervousness.

"I think I'll stay here for the trip," Ginny said at breakfast. "There's no reason for me to go. I'll just wait here and get ready."

"Ginny, don't do that," Neville said. "It would be too suspicious."

"Besides, what is there to do?" Seamus said. "The Room takes care of itself, doesn't it?"

"You're right, you're right," Ginny said. "I'm just nervous."

"Don't act that way at the meeting," Seamus said. "It'll make everyone else more nervous. Might make some not want to come back."

"Or they may think you've been replaced by a doppelganger," Luna said as she walked by.

Seamus turned to watch her go. "How did she know what we were talking about?"

"I've stopped wondering," Ginny said. The three of them finished breakfast and then went back to the Tower to get their things. Neville couldn't remember where he'd put his heavy robes and hat.

He met Luna on the way down to the Entrance Hall.

"Hullo Luna. All ready for the meeting."

"Oh yes. I have been looking forward to it all week," she said. "I felt rather lonely most of last year. I hardly got to see any of you."

"Yeah. I wish I'd gotten to see you more too," Neville said, and was surprised to find it was true.

"I don't know anyone much in my own House," Luna went. "Padma's nice enough, but she's really the only one."

"Well, we'll be having regular meetings this year. You'll get to everyone a lot more often."

"I know. It will be so nice. Are you looking forward to the meeting? I know you weren't going to come at first…"

"Well I wasn't. But I remember that there are things to fight for," Neville said. "And it will be nice to feel like I'm doing some good, and to have a place to belong, I guess."

"Oh I agree. That was my favorite part I think."

As they walked, they passed a girl's bathroom. Curiously, Neville thought he heard singing coming from it.

"Is that singing?" he asked.

"Oh yes. That's Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Luna explained.

"Ah. I've heard so much about her," Neville said.

"She's really quite pleasant, once you get to know her."

"Uh-huh." Harry and Ron claimed it only got IIIIIIIIIIII_worseIIIIIIIIII_ once you go to know her, but Neville didn't say. "So what's the singing then? Is that her?"

"Oh no, I suspect that's Nina and Lauren. They're in my House."

"And, what? They go in there to sing with Myrtle?"

"I think so. Their songs are quite lovely." Neville gave a curious glace back at the bathroom. Singing with Myrtle? Well, he'd known stranger people. One of them was walking right next to him.

He reached the entrance just as Hannah and Ernie did. He met Hannah's eyes for a moment then quickly looked away. He scanned the room for Seamus and Ginny, and found them waiting near the door. Filch was already signing students out.

The four of them made small talk on the way down to Hogsmeade. Once there, however, they weren't sure where to go. Ginny was too preoccupied and Luna didn't seem to have a strong opinion.

"How about Honeydukes?" Neville said. "I haven't had any sweets all summer."

"Must've been terrible," Seamus said. "Honeydukes it is."

Honeydukes was as amazing as Neville remembered. Candy and sweets of every kind lined the walls of the store. He quickly found a few of his favorites- sugar quills and blood pop- and went to see what Seamus was trying. He also got a few extra blood pops for Ginny. He thought she liked them, but she had too much on her mind to really look around.

Afterwards, Ginny led them to the Hog's Head for drinks. Neville suggested the Three Broomsticks, which was closer, but Ginny said she wanted somewhere a little quieter.

They found the Hog's Head much as Neville remembered it from the last time he'd seen- dank, dark, and not nearly as crowded at the Three Broomsticks. The patrons tended to sit either at the bar or in the back corners, away from the windows. The four of them had no trouble finding a place to sit.

"What do you guys want? I'll go order," Ginny offered. All three of them wanted Butterbeer, and handed over their money. Ginny went to order at the bar. The barman again struck Neville as somewhat familiar, but he couldn't think where from.

"I think Ginny wants some Firewhisky," Seamus whispered. "Get her nerve up. That's why she came here."

"Do you think she'll be able to get one?"

"Do you really think she won't?"

Neville again considered the barman. "You're right."

Neville watched as the barman slowly walked over to Ginny. She ordered the drinks. The barman poured the quickly and set them on a tray.

"Firewhisky for you?" he asked.

"Yes," Ginny said without hesitating. The barman smiled a little.

"Trying to get your nerve up for something?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said.

"Good luck." Ginny took the tray and went back to the table. Ginny set the tray down and everyone took their drinks.

"You know, you could probably have gotten one at the Three Broomsticks," Luna said, gesturing to Ginny's Firewhisky. "Rosmerta likes you."

"Maybe," Ginny said, "but Professor McGonagall usually goes there and I didn't want her to see me." Ginny flushed slightly and took a large swallow from her drink. "Quiet. I really look up to her."

They sat drinking quietly for some time. Neville, Seamus, and Luna ordered another round of Butterbeer, though Ginny seemed content with her one glass of Firewhisky. Around three they started to head back for the castle, though Seamus convinced them to stop in Zonko's for a bit.

When they finally started back for the school, the nervousness began to set in for Neville as well. Seamus grew silent as they walked as well, though Luna seemed unperturbed. They reached the castle about half an hour before the meeting was due to start. Neville took a deep breath as they all started up for the seventh floor.

.

Ernie MacMillan was the first to arrive.

"Am I on time?" He asked as he entered. "I tried to wait for Hannah but she was looking over some new clothes she got in Hogsmeade."

"You're the first one here, mate," Seamus said. "Go on and find a seat."

The Room had, of course, been found exactly as they needed it. A number of couches and armchairs were positioned around the room, all facing the front of the room, where four large chairs sat, which Neville and the other had occupied.

"Ah. Well. Hannah will be along shortly, and Susan as well." Ernie took a seat on a couch near the front of the room.

Neville found his nervousness actually abated somewhat as more people arrived. Lavender and Parvati came next. They quickly found a couch toward the middle and whispered to each other. A cluster of Ravenclaws came next, along with Zacharais Smith and Michael Corner. He glanced at Ginny, but she was looking elsewhere.

Hannah arrived next. She smiled at waved in his direction as she came in, though Neville couldn't tell if it was at him or the group in general.

Demelza Robbins and Susan Bones walked in next. Neville thought Demlza was one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. She'd grown her hair out since the summer, down to her shoulders, and it made her look even better. Neville felt nervous when her blue eyes flickered his way. He didn't know her particularly well, but she'd always been friendly to him. Though she was admittedly friendly to most boys in general.

"Hello, Neville," she said as she walked by. "Seamus, thanks for inviting me."

"No problem. Thought you might want to help out," Seamus said scratching the back of his head. Ginny scowled slightly behind his back.

"Oh, I do," she said emphatically. "I wanted to do something to help, but I'm not seventeen. I had to come here…"

"I know what you mean," Seamus said. "I'm not seventeen for another month… otherwise I probably wouldn't be here." Ginny scowled more, though Neville thought she must feel almost the same way.

"Oh, Ginny," Demelza said, seeming to notice her. "A shame about them canceling Quidittch. It was the only part of school I'd been looking forward to."

"They canceled Quidditch?"

"Oh, that's right…" Demelza said. "You were deaf that day, weren't you?"

"Must have been. No one told me." Ginny glared at Neville. He recalled the announcement now, though. He'd meant to write it down for Ginny, but he'd had so much else on his mind.

Demelza took a seat near the front. Euan and Deladus, the last two they were expecting, came in while Demelza was talking. They took seats near her.

Ginny motioned for silence, and the room quickly became quiet. Neville, Seamus, and Luna sat in the chairs in the front of the room, though Ginny remained standing. She was going to do most of the talking; she was best at it.

"I think you all know why we're here," she began. "Things have changed this year at Hogwarts, for the worse. If you didn't pick up on that at the feast, I hope you have by now." She paused for a moment and started to pace as she spoke. "Dumbledore was murdered last year, and his murderer has taken his place. We have Death Eaters at the school, trying to mold the students into the mindset of Death Eaters, and torturing any dissenters. Some of your know this first had.

"We can no longer allow this. I don't know exactly what we're going to do at this point, but I know we have to do something. I can't sit around and wait for everything to get worse."

"This isn't what we did last time," Zacharias Smith snorted.

"If you're looking for help on your N.E.W.T.s, Smith, you should leave now and not waste our time." Ginny stopped pacing and looked directly at him. Smith shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm serious, Smith." By now the entire room was staring at him, and he looked like he'd started to sweat. Smith gave Ginny a look of pure loathing before standing up and walking to the door. He stopped just in front of it and looked over his shoulder.

"Little girl going to fight the Death Eaters? You're not Harry Potter," He said.

"Get out." Neville was surprised to realize he'd spoken. Smith gave him the same loathing look, then opened the door and left without another word.

"I'm not saying there won't be some learning going on here," Ginny said, continuing as if nothing had happened. "But that's not our goal. We're not here to help you with your school work, to get you though your O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s. We have bigger things to worry about, so we won't spend too much time on spellwork. But mainly, we're going to be doing everything we can to stop Voldermort's influence at Hogwarts." The students gasped at Voldemort's name. "If that's not what you want to do, then leave now." Ginny looked around the room, but no one so much as shifted in their seat.

"Good. I'm glad you're all willing to help. Now, we have something for you." At this, Neville and the others got up and started passing out the few Galleons Luna had been able to make. "Older members know how his works. The Galleons will pass along any meeting dates, and any information we may need to spread quickly. If older members have their Galleons, they should be compatible with the new ones." So Luna had claimed, anyway. They'd seemed to work so far, but time would tell.

While they passed out the Galleons, Terry Boot's hand went up. "We're not in class, Terry," Ginny said. "You don't have to raise your hand. You can just speak."

"Oh," Terry said sheepishly. "It's just that, there's not very many of us, you know? There are some Ravenclaws I think would like to help out. No one's happy with the way things are, and we could use more help." He looked over and Demelza, Deladus, and Euan. "There are some new Gryffindors here."

"Yes, that's true," Ginny said. "We're going to start pulling in new members soon. But we need to make sure we can trust them. We can't just bring anyone in. That's what brought us down the last time."

"So what's the plan then?"

"We'll pick new members carefully. A few people in each House will have to agree on any new members before bringing them in. If you want a new person in, you'll talk to them."

"So who will be in charge for each House?" Anthony Goldstein asked.

"We haven't worked that out yet. We will let you know by next meeting."

"For now, we have a few basic goals," Seamus said, taking over. "We want to do anything we can to help Harry Potter, first and foremost. That may not be much, but whatever we can do, we will. Even if it's just telling the younger kids the truth about him. Just don't do it publicly, don't get caught. I'll also be doing some publicity. You'll know it when you see it. When you do, just quietly let others know about us." He stepped back and let Ginny wrap the meeting up.

"Well, I think that's everything. We'll let you know by tomorrow night when the next meeting is. That's all." Ginny sat down, and slowly everyone began talking. A few left right away, but most stayed around to talk. Several came up and started asking Ginny and Seamus questions. Luna and Neville were mostly left alone. Still, Neville felt like he ought to stay till the end, so he started talking with Luna. His eyes frequently darted to Hannah while Luna explained some of the backstory behind several Quibbler articles. She walked with Ernie toward Ginny. Ernie wanted to make absolutely sure he understood all his duties, and then the two of them left. He wished he's spoken during the meeting, or at least talked to her. Well, maybe next time…

"Alright," Seamus said once the other members had all left. "Have a look at these." He pulled several cans out from his pack.

"What are they?" Neville asked.

"Oh, well, they're clearly contained samples of-" Luna began.

"Fred and George made them," Seamus spoke over her. "Saw some Muggle kids using something like them and got an idea. A form of Muggle painting."

"How does it work?" Ginny said, taking one of the cans.

"Well, you aim this little nozzle at what you want to paint and push down." To demonstrate, he pointed it at the floor. There was a hissing sound as the paint came out, making a small white circle on the floor.

"Well, that's good…" Ginny said, "but what do we do with it?"

"I'm getting to it," Seamus said. "Fred and George put some charms on them, so the paint can't be removed. Or, it's incredibly hard anyway, and won't fade. I was thinking we could use them to spread the word. About us."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, write messages on the walls. Let the students know we're here and that we're fighting. We'll do it at night."

"I like it," Ginny said. "So what should we write?"

"Well, I was thinking something like 'Dumbledore's Army is Back' or something."

"How about 'Dumbledore's Army Will Never Die,'" Neville put in.

"Or," Ginny said, "'Dumbledore's army will never surrender.'"

"Dumbledore's Army: Still Recruiting." They all looked at Luna, who was looking down at her spell book. She looked up when she realized they were looking at her. "Well we are, aren't we?"

"I like it," the others said almost in unison, and so it was decided.

"Alright, there's one more thing I'm planning. I don't want to get too many people involved with it, it needs to be a small operation. Just the four or us, no more."

"Alright, what is it?" Seamus asked.

"There's something here Dumbledore wanted Harry to have," Ginny said. "He tried to leave it to him but Scrimgeour wouldn't let him have it. I'm not sure if we'll be able to get it to him, but I think we need to try." She took a deep breath. "We need to steal Gryffindor's sword."


	8. Chapter 8: The Headmaster

**Chapter 8: The Headmaster **

.

"Very good Pansy," Alecto Carrow said. Muggles are violent, killing each other all the time. Very warlike. Ten points to Slytherin." Pansy beamed and cast a dirty look at Ernie McMillan. As much as Draco disliked being around Hufflepuffs in general, he rather enjoyed having Muggle Studies with them this year. "Look at how Muggle measure history- with wars. If we didn't stop them from killing themselves every now and then, there wouldn't be any Muggles left." Alecto said this with a near wistful tone. As wistful as her voice could manage, anyway. Ernie muttered something under his breath at the next table over.

"What was that, Macmillan?" Draco said loudly. "Something about wizards having wars too?"

"Speak, boy," Alecto said. She has quickly strode over, and now loomed above him.

"No, Professor Carrow. I was just clearing my throat," Ernie said.

"Five points from Hufflepuff," Alecto said, walking back to the front of the room.

"What for?" Susan Bones said loudly.

"Bothering me!" Alecto shouted at her. Susan slunk down in her chair. Ernie cast a dirty look at Draco, but said nothing. Draco smiled back and gave a little wave. Pansy laughed at his side. Alecto gave Draco a brief smile, and then continued on with her lecture.

"It's really a shame, Macmillan," Draco said after class. "Your family's as Pure-blooded as mine, but you're the biggest blood traitor at the school. Well, except for the Weasley girl. What do your parents think about that? Cut you out of the will yet?" A cluster of Slytherins behind him laughed.

"How about your parents, Hannah?" Pansy Parkinson asked. "How do your parents feel about you?" Pansy laughed, then her grin grew a little wider. "Oh, your Mommy was killed last year, wasn't she? Guess she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut. Say, I think she'd get on well with MacMillan."

"Ernie, no," Hannah said softly. Ernie's face had turned red as his hand had slipped into his robe pocket. "Let's go." Ernie looked at Hannah and let himself get pulled away.

"Go on then, Mcmillan. Run away!" Ted Nott called after him.

"No no," Draco said loudly. "That won't work. He's in Hufflepuff, he already knows he's a useless coward!" By the time the laughter had died down, Hannah and Ernie had left around the corner.

"Very good, Draco," Alecto said. "I'm a teacher, so I'm not supposed to hurt the students feelings, even when I'm right. It's good for you to keep them in line." Alecto smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. Draco suppressed a chill.

"Thank you, Professor Carrow," he said. Draco enjoyed having the Carrows at Hogwarts, no doubt. But he didn't care for them on a personal level, especially the unusual attention Alecto paid him.

"Please, Draco. Call me Alecto when I'm not in there." She gestured over her shoulder to the classroom.

"Yes, Pro- Alecto." She smiled at him again before walking down the hall.

"Think she might have a crush on you, Draco?" Nott asked.

"Quiet, Nott." Draco said. Nott laughed again, but didn't press the joke. "Let's get some lunch." As they went down to the Great Hall they wound up behind a cluster of Ravenclaws. He knew their names- Boot, Corner, Goldstein. They were too far off to bother with, and besides he was hungry. He tried to listen to Pansy instead, but a snatch of their conversation drifted back and caught his attention.

"…the look on the Carrow's faces," one of them said.

"And this is just the start," another said excitedly. "It's going to be much better than last time."

"Draco? Are you even listening?" Draco turned back to Pansy. The other Slytherins were snickering.

"Does it seem like I am?" Draco snorted, and the others laughed even harder. The Ravenclaws seemed to notice them now, and spoke in more hushed tones. Annoyed, Draco returned his attention to his fellow Slytherins.

Once they arrived at the Great Hall they took their seats. Draco was pouring some pumpkin juice when Slughorn started speaking just behind him.

"Stay seated after you're done," Slughorn said. "The Headmaster has an announcement to make." He spoke quietly. "You aren't in trouble. It's for everyone."

"Of course, Professor Slughorn," Pansy said sweetly. "Would you happen to know what this is about?"

"Acts of vandalism around the school," Slughorn replied. "I don't understand why it was such a big deal, but Mr. Filch was outraged." Slughorn gave a shrug and walked down the table to inform another group of students about the announcement. The rest of the meal was spent speculating about what the announcement might be, and soon got their answer.

"You have all been told to stay here because there has been an act of vandalism on the school grounds. A most serious act of vandalism." Snape pulled a small piece of parchment out of robe. His voice practically smoldered when he spoke. "Dumbledore's Army: Still Recruiting." He paused for a moment to replace the parchment. "I do not know if any of you recall what Dumbledore's Army was. If not, I shall enlighten you. It was a small group of foolish students who took it upon themselves to try some little attempt to usurp the Ministry's authority. It was an ill-fated attempt started by a boy with too big a head.

"If this new group is intending to follow in some of Dumbledore's more misguided notions and reforming to resist the new order here at Hogwarts, they would do well to stop now. Anyone with sense can see that a few troublesome students won't change anything, but I don't credit them with overmuch sense." Snape paused to look over the room. "If anyone hears any information about this group, inform myself or any of the other professors at once. That is all."

As soon as Snape sat down, the sound of hushed voices one again filled the hall. Several students got up to leave, but many stayed to talk, in spite of all the fact that the meal was over.

"Is that all he's going to do?" Nott sounded incredulous and angry.

"Maybe that's all he needs to do," Draco said. "With Potter and his friends out of the picture, what can they really do? They never managed anything without him and the Mudblood."

"Potter had a lot of friends," Nott said. Draco didn't argue. He looked over to the Gryffindor table. Ginny Weasley looked positively smug. She was the one to watch. The others Draco didn't expect much trouble from, but the Weasley girl had a temper, and wasn't afraid to get in a fight. "It'd be best if Snape never gave them the chance." Draco grunted a sort of agreement.

In truth, though, he'd rather come to enjoy Nott's company this year. He found himself spending more and more time with him. During his first few years at Hogwarts, Draco had been content with Crabbe and Goyle's mindless loyalty and adoration. And during his fourth year, he's started to notice Pansy. But lately, he'd come to realize Crabbe and Goyle seemed incapable of having a sustained conversation about anything other than food. Most times they were too dim to do anything other than agree with what he'd said. Pansy was slightly better, but her voice got on his nerves. Blaise was smart enough, but he tended to focus his mental energy on finding girls to snog, which Draco had less interest in. Most off the younger members of his House tended to hover around the same mental capacity as Crabbe and Goyle. Which left Nott. Nott had always been a quiet but smart boy. At first Draco had thought he might find Nott boring, but he soon found they were of like minds.

"It would," Draco agreed, "but the headmaster is busy. I really don't think this 'Army' is anything to worry about." Yet even as he spoke, he recalled overhearing the Ravenclaws earlier. As his group stood up and headed back for their common-room, Draco broke away.

"I need to speak to the headmaster for a moment," he said.

"See you later, Draco," Pansy called after him. He winced slightly. It was most annoying when she tried to sound cute.

Draco walked to the headmaster's office. He stood in front off the gargoyle and spoke the password.

"Voldemort," he said softly. Draco felt somewhat uncomfortable saying the name, but he had to hand it to Snape. Most people willing to speak Voldemort's name rarely did so; they preferred calling him the Dark Lord. Those who might want to infiltrate the office would be those by and large those who were frightened to even speak the name, and also may have figured out that Voldemort's name had been made Taboo. Of course, the Snatches couldn't Apparate into Hogwarts, but the Dark Lord's enemies might not realize that.

The gargoyle moved aside, though it did seem somewhat perturbed at having to do so. Draco ascended the spiral staircase quickly, but hesitated outside the Headmaster's door. He had enjoyed Snape's favor, but he hadn't ever tried to talk to Snape in his office uninvited. He hadn't even talked with Snape much since the end of last year, when…

Draco quickly made himself knock on the door, to derail that train of thought. He heard Snape's footsteps cross the room. The door opened and moment later.

"Ah, Draco. Come in," Snape said warmly. Well, as warmly as he said anything.

"Thank you, Headmaster." Snape returned to his desk and sat down. Draco sat in the chair opposite him. He'd only been in this room and handful of times before with the previous occupant. Not much had changed from what Draco remembered. The silver instruments still littered the desk, though most of them had been pushed to one side. The portraits of the old Headmasters lined the wall. Draco made a conscious effort not to look at the newest one.

"So, Draco, I assume you have a good reason for coming to me in my office," Snape said.

"Yes, Headmaster," Draco said, but then he hesitated. Seeing Snape behind the desk had put him off for a moment. He'd been in this room with Snape once before, but Snape had been standing then, talking with Alecto Carrow. To see him sitting behind the desk seemed somehow wrong. His mind kept slipping back to the Astronomy Tower… but he wouldn't let his mind go there.

"Are you well, Draco? Not so delirious to think this is Hospital Ward, I hope."

"I'm fine," Draco said, nearly snapping at the Headmaster. "I have news about Dumbledore's Army."

"So quickly?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I heard something on the way to lunch. It didn't make sense until I heard your announcement. I think they were Ravenclaws"

"Thank you, Draco," Snape said, looking back to his work. "I will inform Professor Flitwick, and take some measures of my own."

Draco left quickly, trying to not to look at either Snape, or Dumbledore's portrait.

His anxiety began to recede when he left the room. He doubted Flitwick would turn in anyone from his own House, but he knew Snape would do something. He pondered what Snape might do once he found out about this Army and his spirits rose. By the time he reached the common-room, he felt back to normal.

.

The Great Hall was bustling with energy when Draco walked in the following morning. Draco grinned, wondering which of the scenarios he'd played out in his mind Snape would enact. Perhaps Snape would finally give Filch permission to whip students.

"Grab her," Draco said, pointing to a second-year Gryffindor. Crabbe grabbed the girl and pulled her over to Draco. "What's going on? Why's everyone so excited?"

"The Army!" she said excitedly. "They did some more vandalism last night!"

"What? Where this time?"

"In front of the Headmaster's office," she said. "And a few other places, I don't know. It was really bad, it said he'd killed the last Headmaster." For a moment Draco felt uneasy and guilty. The feeling faded when he realized how angry Snape would be. He would almost certainly take it out on someone. Hopefully the little Weasel.

"Let her go," Draco said with a wave of his hand. Crabbe let the girl go and joined Draco at the Slytherin table. They sat in the middle, and the seats around the quickly filled up.

Moments later Snape swept into the room, flanked by the Carrows. "Sit!" he commanded to the few students still standing. "Quiet! Silence!" His jaw was firm, and his eyes seemed to blaze. He paused for a moment, appearing to compose himself somewhat, and then spoke again. "As many of you must be aware," he said evenly, "there was another incident of vandalism. A far more serious one, directed at myself and our new teachers.

"We are currently investigating the matter. I have also implemented a few more measures to ensure this does not happen again. Following this meal, the House heads and other professors will be performing a search of the students' quarters and belongings. In addition, any professor, and Mr. Filch, will have the authority to search any student for any reason at any time.

"Furthermore, all outside communication id hereby halted, save with permission from myself only. Only approved letters may be sent to approved persons.

"And thought I think it should go without saying, I should mention this for the benefit our more hopeless students." To Draco, it looked like he was speaking directly to Neville Longbottom. He stifled a small laugh. "Whoever is responsible for these attacks, or any other disruptive activity will be punished harshly." Snape turned and walked for the door before the echoes of his voice had faded. The Carrows looked confused, but sat down when the students began whispering amongst themselves.

"Is that all?" Draco said. He felt disappointed.

"Oh, he's going to punish them if he catches them?" Nott said sarcastically. "I'm sure they were shocked to hear that!"

"Well let's not forget," Draco went on "he's not letting them send out owls. They won't be able to tell their parents about drawing on the walls, or order any Dungbombs from the Weasley shop."

"They'll just have to get them from Zonko's," Nott said. They shared a laugh, which eased Draco anger somewhat.

Draco watched Snape all through breakfast. He was deep in conversation with the Carrows, who grew increasingly annoyed. Even Alecto seemed to realize Snape was going too easy. When Snape got up to leave, Draco followed him.

"Professor!" he called out.

"Yes, Draco?" Snape said, turning back to Draco and stopping.

"You're hardly doing anything! Restricting their owls won't stop them. Did you find those Ravenclaws I told you about?"

"I informed Professor Flitwick of the matter," Snape said.

"That's not good enough, he won't turn in students from his own House!"

"Draco, I have far more responsibilities than I did last year. I can no longer drop everything to chase down an overheard whisper," Snape said. "I simply do not have the time."

"Then they're not going to stop," Draco said stubbornly.

"You see, Snape?" Amycus spoke from behind Draco. "Even the boy knows it." Amycus strode past Draco, followed by Alecto.

"I like it far less than you," Snape said. Draco saw a flash of rage behind his eyes, which quickly vanished. "But I have more important things to do than read letters and track down vandals. If you wish to go through every letter the students wish to send, be my guest. Perhaps it will keep you busy enough to stop bothering me for a while." Snape smirked at Amycus, who looked flustered, and walked off.

"What are you staring at?" Amycus snapped at Draco. "Get to class! Don't think I won't give you detention!" Draco turned away and joined up with a group of Slytherins leaving the Great Hall.

"Did you talk to Snape?" Nott asked.

"Yes," Draco said. "I don't think he's taking the Army very seriously."

"That was the impression I got," Nott said with a shrug.

"Then maybe we need to take matters into our own hands."

Author's Note: Sorry for messing up the formatting the first time, in case anyone noticed that. I appreciate everyone who's been reading and writing reviews. I know I don't update very regularly, but I hope you all realize now that I am going to finish this story. It's set at 30 chapters, so we got a long way to go, but hopefully you'll think it's worth it. I've had a real blast writing it.


	9. Chapter 9: Unexpected Guests

**Chapter Nine: Unexpected Guests**

"Obliviate!" Neville shouted, aiming his wand at the wall.

"Obliviate!" nearly a dozen voices shouted from behind him.

"Good, good. You're all coming along well," Neville congratulated. "I think that's all we have time for." The DA members began to put up their wands and collect their things.

Ginny had wanted to wait before the DA did anything major. She wanted to Sword to be their first big act, because it was the most important. They would probably come down harder after the first big thing, and they may not get another chance at the Sword. Snape didn't seem to be taking them seriously; she wanted to take full advantage of that fact.

But while Snape wasn't taking them seriously, Draco Malfoy certainly was. He and his crowd were reporting any small instance of rule breaking to the Carrows. So far they only caught a handful, but a few detentions with the Carrows can do a lot of break someone's spirit. Luckily, the Carrows sometimes took off House points for the more minor infractions, and the DA had been warned to watch for people following them.

"It's only a matter of time, though," Ginny had said. She had posed the question of what to do about Draco and his followers at the previous meeting.

"We could just fight them," Demelza Robbins said. "We've been learning a lot of hexes."

"That wouldn't help," Terry Boot said. "It would just make things worse in the long run." Demelza shrugged. No one had any ideas beyond general caution.

"Memory modification," Luna eventually said. "Fudge did it for years, I don't see why we shouldn't."

"Luna that's brilliant!" Ginny said.

"I'm glad you finally realized that," Luna said, but Ginny had already continued talking.

"We'll work on memory charms. Wipe the memories of any Slytherins that try to follow us. And maybe Draco Malfoy on general principle."

And so the DA had begun practicing memory charms. So far they had been working only on the spell itself, and not the more complicated modification process itself. Neville was pleased with everyone's progress, however, and thought they would be able to move on by the next meeting.

"Alright," Neville said. "I think that's all we have time for today. Everyone start leaving slowly." Neville sent the DA members off in small groups, from the same House when possible. He was paying such attention that he didn't notice that Demelza Robbins didn't leave with Parvati and Lavender, and had come up to him.

"I just wanted to say," she said, "that you're really good at teaching the memory charms."

"Erm, thanks," Neville managed. Demelza was standing very close to him, and suddenly felt a little hot.

"I'm serious. At most of the other meetings you usually don't say much. But since you've been doing the teaching, I understand why you're one of the ones in charge."

"Oh," Neville said, surprised at the complement. "I guess teaching just sort of… comes naturally to me."

"I'm sure you could do well at more things, if you tried."

"Y-yeah, maybe." He was pretty sure he was blushing by now. Demelza hadn't looked away from him while they were talking.

"I think we need to be going now," Hannah said. She and Ernie were waiting by the door. Everyone had had left.

"Of course," Demelza said, finally looking away. "I'll let you close up, or whatever you need to do."

Neville didn't really need to "close up or anything. The Room pretty much took care of everything by itself. He just had to make sure no one tried to stay behind, for whatever reason. He double checked the Room and left, starting for the Great Hall.

Along the way he passed several DA recruitment notices on the wall. So far they had really only been for show. They hadn't agreed on any new members to admit so far, and not too many had inquired either. He knew more people would come eventually though. There was a line between how far the Carrows could push people before their anger and outrage outgrew their fear, and the Carrows would soon push people over that line.

As he entered the Great Hall, he noticed Snape and the Carrows having a somewhat heated conversation at the Staff table. He took a seat near the end of the table, hoping to overhear them.

"…done all we can for now. Have to… the act…" Neville was able to make out bits and pieces of what Snape was saying.

"…options, Snape." He heard Amycus' cool, liquid voice next. "I could have them… if you let me…"

"Not an option," Snape said firmly. "…Lord told us… not… till he's ready."

"You're scared," Alecto said. "…backbone to…"

"Do not call me…" Snape replied. "They're only… shouldn't need to…"

"Hey, Neville." Neville jumped at the mention of his name. He'd been listening to intently, he hadn't noticed Ginny and Seamus sit down next to him. "You're not looking wistfully at Snape, are you?" Ginny continued. She'd been in much better spirits since the DA had been up and running.

"No," Neville said with a smile. "I was trying to listen in." He gestured to the Snape and the Carrows, who seemed to be wrapping up their conversation. "Snape doesn't seem to be taking us very seriously."

"Good. The less he thinks of us the better. He won't see it coming."

"Plan on sharing what he won't see coming?" Seamus said. "I'm starting to think most of us won't either."

"I haven't worked anything out very far," Ginny said. "I'm sorry I haven't shared my every thought with you."

Seamus opened his mouth to say something back, but Neville spoke first.

"Hey, an owl!" he blurted. He couldn't think of anything to diffuse the situation, so he said the first thing he saw that stuck out.

Several other people in the Hall also noticed the owl. In the morning, it would have been normal. Somewhat normal, anyway; the Carrows still allowed certain students to send out owls, all of them Slytherins. They also allowed any _Daily Prophet _subscriptions to come in. But owls didn't come at dinner.

Ginny looked as surprised as everyone else when the owl landed in front of her. She took the small note from its beak, trying to open it before…

"Give that to me this instant!" Ginny turned to see Amycus and Alecto looming over her.

"Give it, girl," Alecto said. She had drawn her wand. Ginny gripped the letter a little tighter.

"You'll have to take it from me."

"Come, child," Amycus said. "Do you really think I can't or won't?" Alecto let out a sharp laugh, which sent chills down Neville's spine.

"Miss Weasley," Snape's voice came from behind the Carrows, who parted so he could move in closer. "Who sent you that letter?"

Ginny glanced down at the letter and quickly looked back.

"It's from Hagrid."

"Then there's nothing you can do." Now McGonagall had joined them, crowding around the Gryffindor table.

"What do you mean?" Alecto snapped.

"Professor Hagrid lives on the school grounds. You explicitly forbade any communication outside the school. He is not outside the school."

"It seems you are correct," Snape said after a moment, though it seemed to pain him to say so.

"You're letting her off on a technicality, Snape?" Amycus nearly lost his cool demeanor.

"Professor Snape," he replied. "And I'm afraid so. You know our… orders." Then he smirked. "Besides, with any luck, one of his pets might maim her." That seemed to satisfy Alecto, though Amycus still glowered.

"Anything else you need, Professor?" Ginny said cheerily.

"Detention, Weasley," Amycus sneered.

"What for?"

"Insolence."

"Hope that note's worth it," Seamus said sympathetically.

"I think it will be. Hagrid wouldn't write unless it was important," Ginny said. She doubled checked to make sure the Carrows had left, then opened the note. She quickly read it over, then passed it to Neville and Seamus. Hagrid's handwriting was hard to read, but Neville was able to make it out.

.

Ginny,

It's been great having you and Neville in class. I would like you to come down to the cabin for tea tonight to catch up. If you could come just after dinner that would be great. I'd have told you in person but Fang's been a real handful today.

Hagrid

"What do you think he wants?" Neville asked.

"Maybe he's got some really good tea," Ginny mused. "I mean, Hagrid's never been good at keeping secrets, it could just be tea."

"Ginny…"

"We're going, Neville," Ginny said. "Of course."

Neville felt good. Even if it was just tea, it would be nice to talk to Hagrid. He wasn't even slightly intimidated by the Carrows.

.

He and Ginny finished eating quickly, but waited for Snape and the Carrows to leave before leaving themselves. They left the castle and quickly walked down to Hagrid's cabin. They found the windows all shuttered, though it was still fairly warm, and the door locked. Hagrid opened the door the small bit when Ginny knocked.

"Just a minute!" Hagrid's voice boomed from behind the door. The door jerked open a moment later. "Alrigh, come inside. There you go. I'll get the door." Hagrid hurried them into his cabin is quickly it took Neville a moment to notice the other two figures in the cabin.

One was a long, scraggly looking man with ginger hair. Neville's grandmother knew him, or knew of him, but Neville couldn't remember his name. The other was a House Elf Neville thought might be Dobby, until he looked a little closer.

"What are they doing here, Hagrid?" Ginny demanded.

"Ginny, calm down now…" Hagrid started.

"Hagrid, you know what they've done. You know better than I do!" Ginny was livid. She's been in much better spirits the last few weeks, but she could be fierce when she lost her temper. She turned violently toward the two guests, but Hagrid and Neville reached out and grabbed her arms.

"If Miss Weasley will calm down," the House Elf began, "Kreacher will explain everything." The scraggly man said nothing, but looked very uncomfortable.

"You betrayed Harry! Both of you!"

"Ginny, calm down!" Neville shouted. He hadn't meant to shout, and surprised himself when he did. Ginny and Hagrid were also surprised; Ginny had stopped shouting. "Let's just," Neville said slowly, then started over. "They must have come here for a reason. Let's hear them out."

"We did!" the House Elf exclaimed. "Harry Potter sent us to help Ginny Weasley, he did!"

"Harry? What?" Ginny's arms relaxed, and Neville let her go. "He sent you?"

"Oh, yes. Harry Potter said to help you." Ginny grew silent, so Hagrid spoke.

"So, why did he send you?" Hagrid sounded unusually cold toward his guests.

"Ah, this is where I come in," the scraggly man said.

"Do I know you?" Neville asked.

"Might be that you do. Name's Mundungus Fletcher." He shook Neville's somewhat unwilling hand, but did not offer it to Ginny. "Now just a moment, they're in my bag here somewhere… here we go. Go on, it won't break." He handed Neville a patch of silver cloth.

"Is that an invisibility cloak?" Hagrid asked, taking a second one from Mundungus. "Harry has one like it."

"Yes, well, I have heard that." Mundungus continued to pull more cloaks out of his bag. "I don't know if you'll fit," he said to Hagrid, "but I think it should be fine for the students."

"Why are you doing this?" Ginny asked, speaking for the first time in several minutes.

"There was some nonsense about a locket," Mundungus said, shaking his head. Kreacher cleared his throat, and Mundungus glance at him nervously. "They wouldn't tell me why it was important, but it must have been. I thought it was just a locket. Pretty, but not important." Mundungus scratched the back of his neck. "Anyway, it was important, so I came here- at great personal risk- to try and make up for losing it."

"But… six invisibility cloaks. These are hard to find," Ginny said.

"Yes, well. I had to call in a few favors." He shuffled his feet, but then looked directly at Ginny. "I suppose I was making up for a few other things as well."

Ginny seemed satisfied, and now looked to Kreacher. "You seem unusually happy. Why is that?"

"Harry Potter, he treats me like an equal now. He talks to me, respects me. Gave one of Master Regulus' things. Kreacher now sees that the Black Family were not good masters. Kreacher wants to help Harry Potter."

"I see." Ginny's expression was hard to read, but she stopped pressing the House-Elf. "Did Harry have any messages for me?"

"No, Miss Weasley. Kreacher is sorry, but he has not seen Harry Potter for some time. I am sure," Kreacher added, "that he would have given Kreacher a message if he had known you were coming. He worried about you."

"Thank you, Kreacher. And Mundungus." Mundungus had been examining some of the stranger objects in Hagrid's hut. Neville hoped he hadn't taken anything important.

"It's the least I could have done," Mundungus said. "If you're done talking, I think we should be going now."

"We will leave when Miss Weasley is done," Kreacher said harshly, causing Mundungus to flinch.

"No, it's fine. It's not safe here for either of you. You should go," Ginny said. "How did you get here anyway?"

"Apparation," Kreacher said.

"But you can't Apparate on the Hogwarts grounds," Neville blurted, as he sometimes did when he actually remembered something he'd learned.

"House-Elves can," Kreacher said. "House-Elves can do many things. Come, Mundungus Fletcher." Mundungus laid a hang on Kreacher's shoulder.

"Hol' on," Hagrid said. "Why'd you leave Mad-Eye to die, Fletcher? After all he'd done for yeh, yeh left him alone with You- Know-Who."

Mundungus looked like he'd been slapped. For a moment, Neville thought he might start shouting, but he suddenly looked sad and tired.

"I told him I didn't want to be there," Mundungus said a few moments later. "I'm no good at fighting. I'm just not a fighter. I just… don't fight." He took a breath. "I didn't run when the fighting started. Only when You-Know-Who showed up. And what am I supposed to do against him?"

"Yer a coward, Fletcher."

"I didn't want to die if I could avoid it," Mundungus snapped. "I didn't want him to die either…"

"You should probably get going," Neville said. He didn't think the conversation was going to end well.

"Neville Longbottom is right. We have been too long," Kreacher said.

"What will you do now?" Ginny asked.

"Kreacher will try to help Harry Potter, if he can," Kreacher said. Neville thought he was smiling, but he couldn't always read the expressions of a House-Elf.

"Try to keep my head down," Mundungus said.

A moment later, they both vanished with a crack.

"Well," Hagrid said, a little calmer now, "that was interesting, eh?"

"But helpful," Neville said, running his hand across the invisibility cloak.

"We need to get back," Ginny said. "I'm sorry, Hagrid. We'll come for a real visit soon."

"'Course," Hagrid said. "Get those somewhere safe. Go on, I'll see yeh soon, I know."

Ginny thanked Hagrid again, and then set off with Neville back to the school.

"Ginny," Neville said, after they left.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'll end up like him?"

"You mean Mundungus?" Neville nodded. "No, Neville. I don't think so. Listen, do you know why Mundungus is in the Order?" Neville shook his head. "Harry told me once. Dumbledore helped him out of a jam once, and he's helped the Order ever since. Now I don't think he would have been a Death Eater if that hadn't happened, but the only reason he even got involved was because of his loyalty to Dumbledore. You're not just doing this for Harry, are you?"

Neville thought of Snape, his Gran, his parents, Bellatrix.

"No," he said. "I'm doing it for myself."

"Then you won't wind up like him," Ginny said.

Neville felt much better as he walked back to the castle. That night he slept without hearing voices.

.

"Seamus, is there another Potterwatch tonight?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, at eight I think," Seamus said from behind his Transfiguration book.

"I think that would be a good thing to do at tonight's DA meeting," Ginny said. "You know. Have everyone sit around and listen to it. Take a break from all the work, you know? Everyone's getting stressed; we could all use some time to relax."

It had been three days since Mundungus and Kreacher had come to visit. Neville had taken charge of hiding the invisibility cloaks. Due to their nature, this was not hard, but he wanted to keep them all separate, and in places where no one was likely to stumble across them."

"Not a bad idea," Seamus agreed, putting his book down and stretching.

"And we also need to talk about how we're going to get that sword," Ginny said. "We'll need Luna, too."

"I'm not sure need is the word," Seamus mumbled. Ginny gave him a look which he did not acknowledge.

"So where's the sword?" Neville asked.

"Harry said Dumbledore kept it in Snape's office. I'm sure it's still there," Ginny said.

"Do we really need this sword?" Seamus asked. "I mean, I'm all for the DA, but how important is this sword?"

"Dumbledore wanted Harry to have it," Ginny said, "and that's good enough for me."

"Merlin's beard," Seamus said softly. "If Dumbledore wanted it… it just seems so impossible."

"Well, ever since Harry was born, impossible things have become a lot more commonplace," Ginny said with a smirk. "We'll think, and talk more tonight."

After that, the three of them devoted their time to homework. Sometimes, Neville felt so strange doing schoolwork, what with everything else going on. But this war, it wouldn't go on forever. He believed it would end, that they would win. And after that, he'd need to know the things in his classes, so he managed to keep up.

After a few more hours, the three of them left for the Room of Requirement. They tried to always arrive at the meetings at least half an hour early. They found the room, as always, exactly suited to their needs- a number of chairs and couches, arranged in a semicircle, around a small stand.

"Perfect," Seamus said, rather unnecessarily. He placed the radio on the stand and then took a seat on one of the couches.

"This room is always so lovely," Luna said. She had come in right behind Neville and the others. "I like it here."

"Oh, hi Luna," Ginny said. "Don't forget, we need to talk after the meeting."

"Oh yes, of course," Luna said, "our daring new mission."

Ginny smiled a little at that, and then went to work finding the proper radio station. By the time she had finished, Demelza Robbins, Lavender, and Parvati had all joined them in the room. Over the next twenty minutes or so, the rest of the DA arrived and took seats in the couches and chairs.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Anthony asked, examining the room's unusual layout.

"We're going to listen to something on the radio," Ginny said. "Have any of your heard of Potterwatch?" Anthony shook his head. "Well, we think you'll like it." The students settled into their seats and Seamus turned on the radio. Neville took a seat next to Ernie while Seamus spoke the password: Remember Med-Eye.

"So what's this about?" Ernie asked Neville.

"It's a radio program. Lee Jordan runs it. They keep us updated on the real news."

"Ah, excellent," Ernie said with a smile.

"Lee Jordan?" Hannah asked from the other side of Ernie.

"Erm, yes. He has a code name but you can tell it's his voice," Neville said. "I think it's starting."

"Good evening, and welcome to Potterwatch!" Lee Jordan's voice boomed from the radio. "As always, we appreciate the risk all of your take by just listening to us. Take a moment to ensure your location is secure." The radio went silent for a few moments. "Alright then, we'll start with our top story at the moment. Several of our sources inside the ministry claim that there was disturbance just over a week ago. Dolores Umbridge, former Hogwarts High Inquisitor and head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission claimed she was attacked and robbed during a court session, though she has since denied making those claims. This may be linked to other witness reports of two Reginald Cattermole's, a ministry employee, having been seen in the atrium."

Neville felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Ginny. She had collected Luna and Seamus already. Quietly, they went to back of the room and talked quietly.

"We need to find some way to get in to Snape's office," Ginny said. "I don't imagine any of you have heard the password?" No one spoke up. "Right. Well, I guess we have two options. We can keep trying to stir up trouble until he takes one of us to his office," Ginny went on.

"Not my favorite plan," Seamus said.

"Really, I was pulling for that one," Ginny said blandly. "Option two is a little less dangerous. We would just have to wait around with the cloaks till he went in."

"Why don't we do that?" Seamus said. "I like that plan much better."

"The problem is," Ginny went on, "is that we don't know how often he goes to and from his office. And we would have to stand very close to be able to hear him. So we can think on it, for a few minutes."

Neville was more in favor the second plan. It did seem safer. There was no need to get anyone punished before they went for the sword, especially if it was going to be one of them. Of course, he had no idea what Snape would do if he caught someone snooping around his office in an invisibility cloak. He would take the cloak, for one thing, and he might punish them worse than he would if they were simply brought to him by the Carrows.

Neville eventually let his thoughts go back to the radio, and he heard a more familiar voice.

"Hey, Ginny, aren't those your brothers?" Neville asked. Ginny looked at him then turned toward the radio. Her face brightened noticeably as she recognized the voices.

"Alright, alright, seriously," Lee Jordan was saying. "I hear you two have a theory on the disturbance at the Ministry. Rapier, Rapscallion, would you like to share?"

"But of course," one of them said. Neville thought it was George.

"All these incidents can be easily explained," the other said.

"Someone was trying to infiltrate the ministry."

"Perhaps to rob it."

"Perhaps for information."

"And we feel that person,"

"Was Harry Potter," they finished together.

Cheers erupted throughout the room. Neville looked toward the door with concern, but was pretty sure nothing could be heard from outside.

"We don't know why exactly," George said, "but we can only hope he was successful in whatever he was trying to do."

"I thought we agreed he was trying to get Moody's eye, Rapier," Fred said.

"We don't know that for sure."

"Didn't you hear how it went missing around that time?"

"My other ear still works fine, Rapscallion."

"Anyway, moving on to our next guest," Lee Jordan interrupted, "with some more news and some safety tips, we have Re-"

"Icarus," a voice said.

"Icarus?" Lee said confusedly. "That doesn't exactly fit with our theme…"

"I like the name Icarus," he said.

"Very well," Lee said with a sigh. "Icarus."

"Hey, that's my uncle Dedalus!" Deladus Diggle said. "I was named after him."

"But you don't have the same name," Demelza Robins pointed out.

"My dad's a little dyslexic," Deladus said sheepishly.

"Any ideas?" Ginny said, turning back to the matter at hand.

"I was thinking," Neville said. "We could use Peeves to cause some commotion, to draw Snape and the other away. I don't think he likes the Carrows at all. I bet he'd help if we asked."

"That's a good idea," Ginny said. "If we can get him to help. Do you want to ask him?"

"Not especially, but I will," Neville said glumly.

"Alright, good. But we still need that password."

"I think waiting is our best option," Luna said. "I don't want to know how hard we would have to try to get Snape to punish us personally."

"I can help," another voice said. Neville turned around to see Michael Corner standing behind him.

"What do you want?" Ginny said with a scowl.

"I can help," Michael repeated.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny demanded.

"I know the password the Snape's office. He caught me casting a spell in the halls."

"Well, what is it?" Seamus said. "Come on, out with it."

"No way," Michael said. "If I tell you, you'll just go on and do it. I want to come along."

"Just give it to us," Ginny said, getting to her feet.

"Only way I'll tell you is if I can come along," Michael said.

Ginny stared him down. It really looked like she was going to say no- and hex him, to boot.

"Come on, Ginny," Neville said. "This is a good thing. We don't have to worry about getting caught before hand."

"Fine," Ginny said after a moment. "You're in."

"Good," Michael said with a grin. The Potterwatch show had just ended, and the rest of the DA was starting to look toward the group in the back.

"We'll talk about this later," Ginny said.

"Good, just let me know," Michael replied, still smiling. He walked back to join Terry and Anthony.

"Wonderful," Ginny muttered. "This year keeps getting better and better. I can't believe he weaseled his way in to this."

"He does remind me a bit of a weasel," Luna said, "in the nose, a little bit."

They all laughed a little at that. "Anyway," Seamus said, "he's in, and we might as well make the best of it. Let's send everyone off and get back to the Tower."


	10. Chapter 10: HalfBloods

**Chapter Ten: Half-Bloods**

"I expect that you will all give the emissary from the Ministry the full measure of respect and cooperation due someone of his rank," Snape said, looking directly at McGonagall as he spoke.

"Indeed," Amycus Carrow said, standing with a sweep of his cape. McGonagall wondered, not for the first time, if he'd enchanted his cape to do that. "I would remind you all of the high standards we hold our teachers to at this Institution. We will be expecting peak discipline during his visit." Amycus also looked at McGonagall while speaking.

"May I ask," McGonagall said before Amycus sat down, "what the purpose of this visit is?" Amycus froze between standing and sitting, unsure if he should try to answer or just sit down. McGonagall suppressed a small snicker.

"The emissary will be discussing new policies the Minister wishes Hogwarts to implement," Snape said. "That is all I have been told." The answer frustrated McGonagall. The way thing had been going at the Ministry, a new policy may be giving medals to Purebloods or replacing the whole staff with Death Eaters.

McGonagall left the staff room with Flitwick, Sprout, and Hagrid.

"What do you think this is all about, Minerva?" Sprout asked. "You don't think it's some sort of trick, do you?"

"I don't see what would be gained from this," McGonagall said. "And I don't think the Carrows would go to all this trouble."

"Are you sure?" Sprout asked.

"Perhaps not," McGonagall said. "Amycus might, but Snape wouldn't go along and Alecto couldn't keep it a secret."

"You sound very confident of that," Flitwick said.

"'Know thy enemy,'" McGonagall said. "A wise Muggle once said that."

"Good advice," Flitwick said, though he sounded slightly flustered. "So what could it be about?"

"I suppose we will just have to wait and find out," McGonagall said. They reached the intersection where they all split ways for their respective quarters. "Be on your guard, as always." The professors nodded and walked off.

The rest of the professors, save Slughorn, had been completely supportive of the Carrows. On the surface, anyway. They all reported most infractions to the Carrows, but McGonagall had seen Vector hold her door open a few minutes past when she should have started class when some students were late, and Sinistra had once stopped some first-years from doing magic in the halls without reporting them. Even Binns once drew Filch into a conversation so he wouldn't spot some students who were skipping class. It was encouraging to know her fellow professors weren't totally broken, even if they were too afraid to act outright.

But those small acts of defiance only offered a small amount of moral support. If she wanted to try anything more serious, she only had Flitwick, Sprout, Hagrid, and perhaps Slughorn. And she had the feeling Hagrid would be unsuited for most of the plans she might hatch; he was not the most subtle man, nor good at keeping secrets. The others never backed her when she tried to argue with the Carrows or Snape. She couldn't entirely blame them; she herself had been much more careful since the incident with the Unforgivable Curse.

Slughorn had found himself isolated from both groups. He had slightly allied himself with McGonagall, so the others kept their distance. Yet McGonagall did not fully trust him. He would betray her, if they came down hard enough, so she never told him anything essential unless it was truly necessary. She did not completely alienate him, but any trust she had in him was very tentative and limited.

Mercifully, she reached her quarters without being accosted. Alecto had recently taken to waiting outside her quarters to discuss certain matter, often for hours on end. The talks left McGonagall without a full night's sleep, which she found she needed more than she realized. The whole deal seemed more like one of Amycus' stunts, coming out of Alecto's mouth. The late night talks were starting to leave her very drained.

McGonagall changed into her sleeping gown with a full mind. The last few years at Hogwarts had a certain excitement to them. But the danger had never felt so close. Even when Umbridge was in charge; she was cruel, but she had stayed on one side of a line the Carrows had been crossing since their first week. They were more dangerous than Umbridge, in every imaginable way. McGonagall didn't want to think about what they would do once Voldemort decided to reveal himself. She suspected there would be a real battle that day, no more indirect jabs. She was confident that she, Flitwick, Sprout, Hagrid, and perhaps Slughorn could take down the Carrows and Snape, if they were able to go after them separately.

But to what end? Voldemort had taken a keen interest in the school. It made sense. McGonagall knew that more than a few of the younger students bought in to the lies the Carrows were teaching. In ten years, there would be no one around to set them straight. Even if they did get rid of the Carrows what good would it do? Voldemort would sweep down on them, kill anyone who opposed him, and install people worse than the Carrows. They had to tread a thin line. She had to do what she could without going to far, without getting herself killed or kicked out.

She turned on the wireless, to take her mind off her troubles. Normally she never bothered with that sort of thing, but Hagrid had told her about Potterwatch at the start of the semester. She had been trying to tune in when she could.

"… not being able to defend the Muggle Minister?" It warmed her heart to hear Lee Jordan's voice. She'd known he would be successful, but she never dreamed he would be doing something so dangerous and important. It made her feel proud.

"Of course, I regret that he will no longer let me guard him," a baritone voice she recognized as belonging to Kingsley Shacklebolt answered. "But I do understand. And the new revolving guard system is good, in ensures that he is always guarded by someone fresh."

"Very good, Royal. Now, we're almost out of time, so do you have anything else you want to tell our listeners?"

"Yes, I do." Kingsley paused for a moment. "All that You-Know-Who needs to take over is for everyone else to do nothing. To not take him seriously. To not believe he is really back, to not believe he will come for them.

"He will. Sooner or later, everyone will be affected, in some way. So you must stand up! Listening to this program alone is not enough. You must do whatever you can to oppose You-Know-Who, and help others who also oppose him. Anyone, be they friends or former enemies, Purebloods or not, rich or poor, Muggle or wizard. Everyone deserves help, and everyone can help in turn. That is all. Thank you, River."

McGonagall turned the radio off after getting next week's password. Listening to Potterwatch always refreshed her. She lay down in her bed, feeling slightly less troubled.

.

"The emissary will be arriving and noon," Snape said the following morning. He only stepped in to the staff room to say that. He usually took his meals either in his office, or, more commonly, the Great Hall. McGonagall usually did as well, but she needed to talk with Flitwick. Sprout volunteered to sit in the Great Hall with the students.

"Filius, I've heard the rumors that you used to be a dueling champion many years ago. I never followed that sort of thing when I was younger," McGonagall said.

"Yes, I was. All-Britain Champion back in '68. I went on to the International scene but didn't get very far." McGonagall detected more than a little pride in his voice nonetheless. "But why ask now? We've worked together for… years."

"You have been teaching the students dueling techniques, have you not? Rather than the regular charms?"

"Erm, yes. I thought it more prudent than going over NEWT level charms, to be honest. In light of, well, everything," Flitwick said.

"The reason I ask, Filius, is that I wish to do the same with Transfiguration. Teach my students dueling techniques."

"Oh, well. Of course I can help. There are more than a few useful Transfigurations that can be used in duels."

"Thank you, Filius. Can we meet in your office tonight at seven?"

"That should be just fine, Minerva. I'll see you then." They made small talk through the rest of the meal before going on to their first classes.

.

The emissary arrived during lunch. McGonagall did not recognize his face, but had little doubt he was a Death Eater. She knew Scrimgeour's death had been no accident; she'd heard it from Kingsley himself. She never figured Pius Thicknesse for a Death Eater, but sometimes that would make them all the more dangerous.

The emissary entered the Great Hall and walked to the staff table. He exchanged a few words with Snape before leaving again. McGonagall strained, but could not hear what was said over the din of the Hall. However, they were clearly at odds with each other. McGonagall smiled a little. Even if Snape had earned Voldemort's favor, she did not think he would last long if the other Death Eaters disliked him, which several of them clearly did.

"The meeting will occur after your afternoon classes," Snape said before leaving himself. McGonagall looked to Flitwick and Sprout, both of who looked concerned. McGonagall could only shrug.

Her first afternoon class was mostly older students. The new schedule, thanks to Snape and the Carrows' interference, meant that several of her classes had mixed grades. She had a hard time deciding what to teach, based on who knew what. She couldn't go too advanced, or the younger ones would be lost. But going over older material wouldn't do anything for the older students. She usually found some balance, but it wasn't very efficient.

She liked this class, though, because it had Ginny Weasley and Seamus Finnegan. She knew they were two of the major players in the revival of Dumbledore's Army. Even if all they were doing was painting on walls, it scared the Carrows far more than they would let show. Or thought they let show, anyway.

As soon as McGonagall closed the door, Ginny raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"I was wondering," Ginny asked, "if we'll learn how to Transfigure things like walls and floors?"

"How do you mean, Miss Weasley?"

"Well, say you were being chased. Would it be possible to Transfigure a wall to close the hall behind me? Or maybe make a hole in a wall to cut through to another passage?"

"Yes, such things are possible," McGonagall said with a smile and nod. Ginny smiled back. "In fact, that is the very issue we will be studying today.

"However, it will be difficult to practice much here. The entire building of Hogwarts is enchanted to resist such spells. They do not want the schools to rearrange at a student's whim."

"But don't the stairs move around all the time?" Seamus asked.

"But that is not the will of the students, but the will of the school," McGonagall said. "You would find it very hard to create holes or close off passages in Hogwarts, but there are a few other options. The floor, for instance, can be modified to help in an escape, if you ever needed to make one." McGonagall showed them how to create large bumps and dips in the floor, which would likely cause any pursuers to trip and fall. By the end of the class, she had everyone's rapt attention, once they realized just what she was doing. Eventually, however, class ended, and the students began to file out.

"Miss Weasley, a moment," McGonagall said.

"Yes, Professor?" Ginny waited, along with Seamus.

"If there are any other types of Transfiguration you are interested in, please let me know before our next class. In case I need to refresh my memory."

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said, grinning widely. "You can count on it."

.

McGonagall entered the staffroom at the same time as Professor Slughorn, who was noticeably more nervous than usual. He may have lost some weight. He held the door open for McGonagall, mumbling something that might have been "After you." McGonagall suspected Slughorn was actually trying to put off entering the room as long as possible. After the last staff meeting, she did not blame him.

Most of the staff was already there; McGonagall's classroom was farther away than most. She sat by Flitwick and Sprout, away from the others. She noticed how the other teacher quieted, and shifted to cover open seats as she walked past. She sighed inwardly as she took her seat.

Slughorn followed her in. Again, the teachers did their best to cover open seats, forcing Slughorn to sit by himself, between the two groups.

Snape came in with the emissary. McGonagall still could not place him, but she had little doubt he was a Death Eater. Amycus Carrow followed the both of them.

"Is everyone here?" the emissary asked as he took as seat.

"No, the oaf… ahem, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher appears to be running late," Amycus said, "as usual."

"Well, he certainly does need to be here," the emissary said. "I do worry about the state of this school, if a simple message can't be passed to all the staff." He gave Snape a smug look as he said this. "We will have to wait."

Hagrid burst in a few moments later, breathless, and mumbling something that was probably an apology.

"You would be the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, then?" the emissary asked. Hagrid nodded as he sat down with McGonagall and the others.

"Now, are they all finally here?" the emissary asked. Snape nodded curtly. "Good. I'll go ahead and get started. My name is Yaxley, I am from the Ministry of Magic.

"The Ministry wants to have a more active role at Hogwarts this year. We have tried such in the past and believe it met with great success. We see no need to place anyone else here, however. We will not be telling the school what to do, merely advising the Headmaster and making suggestions to him. The first and most prominent policy will concern the staff. We will be advising the Headmaster to implement a policy of full Blood Purity for all teachers at Hogwarts." His eyes lingered on Hagrid and Flitwick.

"We can only advise the Headmaster in this capacity, but we can require all staff members to take loyalty oaths." Yaxley paused to float a stack of papers over from a table near Snape. "Every member of the staff has to sign one, if they want to keep their posts." He looked over the room. "Well, I'd like to leave soon, if you want to go ahead and start signing."

McGonagall stood slowly, and was nearly knocked of balance by Flitwick. He practically ran to the front of the room. He looked over the contract and signed it with his wand. The rest of the staff followed suit. She looked over the contract briefly. It had the sort of thing she would suspect- follow orders of the Ministry of Magic, loyalty to the Minister of Magic. She was slightly encouraged, however. If they were making them sign loyalty oaths, it probably meant they hadn't gotten complete control over the Wizengamot.

"That was a dirty trick," Flitwick said when she sat back down.

"What do you mean?"

"Those oaths had so many Charms and hexes on them… you don't even want to know what would have happened if you broke one of them," Flitwick said. McGonagall inhaled sharply "Don't worry, I dispelled them while I was signing."

"Thank Merlin," she said. "How could you tell?"

"They did a good job covering them, but there was one I could detect. I could nearly see it. The others were all very subtle, but the Blindness Charm wasn't very well concealed. I looked for others after I saw that one."

"You got them all? We don't have anything to worry about?"

"Not a thing," Flitwick said.

Yaxley put all the oaths in a small bag once the last one had been signed by Trelawney. "Very good," he said. "Well, that's all I need to do here. I'll be on my way."

"Alecto, please show Mr. Yaxley out, if you would," Snape said. Alecto got to her feet and followed Yaxley, who seemed intent on ignoring her if possible. "You heard what the Ministry suggested. I think they're so very reasonable. We don't want any rabble teaching our precious students," Snape said with a smirk. "All staff members, excepting Mr. Binns and Mr. Filch, will have to provide proof of their ancestry by next week."

"All staff members, Severus?" McGonagall asked abruptly.

"You will address me as Headmaster," Snape said, "and yes, Minerva, I did say all staff members. Is your hearing starting to go? Perhaps I ought to consider a mandatory retirement age…" Snape's voice trailed off as he left the room with Amycus in tow, chuckling. The other teachers filed quickly after, leaving the four House heads plus Hagrid sitting alone in the room.

"Is he serious?" Professor Sprout eventually said. "He can't be, can he?"

"Of course he's serious," Flitwick snapped. "Did he seem like he was having a joke?"

"Perhaps I'm just trying to be optimistic!" Sprout retorted angrily, though she also seemed a little hurt.

"Filius! Pomona!" McGonagall said, causing them both to look at her. "This is no time to fight. If we don't stand together we'll have no chance." Sprout's features softened, but Flitwick bristled.

"I'm going to go start getting the papers together," Slughorn said. "I don't know where I keep them anymore." He left the room quickly.

"Filius, I believe we had a matter we were going to discuss in my office?" McGonagall asked.

"Oh, yes, Minerva," Flitwick said, shaking his head. "No, I hadn't forgotten. It's almost time, isn't it?" They stood up and walked for the door. She said goodbye to Sprout and Hagrid. Hagrid had remained strangely silent since the end of the meeting, and made no move to leave even as Sprout stood. She would have to check on him later.

"What was that all about?" McGonagall asked as they reached the door of her office. They had gone inside and sat down before Flitwick answered.

"I don't know if you were aware but, I am, strictly speaking, not Pure Blooded." He cleared his throat. "Not purely human, actually. There's a little Goblin in me. It happened several generations back, but every now and then the traits pop up…" he trailed off. "If they test for blood purity, I'll be the first out the door, along with Hagrid." He snorted. "While Trelawney gets to stay on."

"I'm not going to let that happen," McGonagall said. "I'll find some way to deal with Severus Snape."

"I hope so, Minerva. Hogwarts is my life. I have nothing else, no where to go." McGonagall nodded. It was the same for her.

She wasn't certain of her own blood purity. He mother came from an old wizarding family, but she'd never known much of her father's family. She hadn't really cared to know. For a guilty moment she did wish she knew them better, but only so she would be sure she could stay at Hogwarts.

"We will talk more about that later. You were going to show me some dueling techniques?"

"Yes, of course," Flitwick said, hopping down from his chair. "Dueling is mostly a matter of Charms, as you know. Charms are a little more versatile. You use or make a Charm for any specific purpose you need, offense or defense.

"Which is not to say you can't duel with Transfiguration, but you have to be more indirect. I'll show you one of the simpler methods, if you'll pass me that broom over there? Thank you." Flitwick ran his wand down the length of the broom, turning it into a short metal sword. He swung is experimentally a few times then handed it to McGonagall. "No doubt you could do better." McGonagall smiled at the compliment and returned the sword. "But making a weapon like this means you have to know how to use it. And Muggle weapons generally aren't very practical in a wizard's duel." He ran his wand across the sword and changed it back to a broom. "What's more useful is to throw some harmless object, and Transfigure it in the air into something more dangerous."

The lesson went on for almost two hours. McGonagall was familiar with all the Transfiguration techniques Flitwick showed her, but had never thought much of how they could be used in a battle. The few times in her life when she'd been forced to fight, she relied on Charms as well. She probably still would, but it was good to know other techniques.

She began to grow exhausted by the time it was ten. Flitwick, on the other hand, only seemed to be getting more and more energy. Perhaps he was reliving his old dueling days. McGonagall bid him goodnight, and Flitwick left. McGonagall herself went down the hall to her personal chambers.

.

The next day McGonagall spent her lunch hour in the library, pouring over the Hogwarts by-laws. There was no guarantee she would find anything, or that they would care if she did. But the Ministry seemed to be operating within the law for now, so if she could find something it might stymie them at least.

Unfortunately, she found little that would be useful. The Headmaster could not dismiss individual teachers for anything other than low standards. He could, however, pass policies that would affect the employment of all teachers. He could also be overruled by the governors, but that was small comfort; the Death Eaters had intimidated the governors before. So unless she found something else, she would have to find some way to convince Snape to not enact the policy.

The rest of the day went largely without incident. She taught some of her older students the techniques Flitwick had taught her, adding a few small pointers of her own as they came to her. She arranged to meet Flitwick for another lesson over the weekend, and hit the library again as soon as her classes were over. She found no other books detailing the Hogwarts by –laws, and nothing else that seemed useful at all.

At the moment, it seemed that her only option would be to somehow incapacitate Snape so that he could not perform his duties as Headmaster. That would technically make her Headmaster; they had not thought to strip her of her title. That was a temporary solution, however. They would not allow her to remain. They would either remove her or kill her. Either way, they would probably put Bellatrix or Dolohov in charge, and either of them would be worse than Snape. No, there had to be some other way, some way to convince Snape to back down, but nothing came to her that night. She realized she had been reading all through dinner and was hungry. She closed the volume she had out, something regarding the previous headmasters, and left the library. She kept a little food in her room, so she would not go too hungry.

As she expected, Alecto was waiting just outside her door.

"Hello, Professor," she greeted with a grin. She even tried to sound sweet, though she fell short. "How are you?"

"Very tired, Alecto," McGonagall said. "And I need to be getting to sleep. If you'll excuse me…"

"I have something important things to show you. Can't wait." Alecto pulled out a piece of parchment. "Don't want anyone saying me and my brother aren't Purebloods. Here's our family." McGonagall looked at the parchment. It had clearly been made recently. She recognized both Amycus and Alecto's handwriting. The ink wasn't even dry yet.

"Of course, but I think it can wait till morning," McGonagall said, trying to push past her again. Alecto still blocked the way.

"No, I need to show you now. Make sure you know who everyone is."

McGonagall resigned herself to listening for a while. Alecto went over every family member in great detail, though it was obvious she was making most of it up as she went along.

"And this was my great-aunt, ah..." Alecto struggled to read the handwriting, "Percival Carrow."

"Percival is a male name," McGonagall said.

"No, it's not," Alecto said.

"It is obvious you are making most of this up as you go along," McGonagall went on. "There's no shame in not knowing a member of your extended family, though. I have to wonder why you have something to hide." McGonagall gave a few moments for that to sink in, though it was hard to know if it really would. "In any case, you're wasting my time." McGonagall stepped around her and in to the room. Alecto, still working out what McGonagall had said, made no move to stop her. "I may pay for that tomorrow," McGonagall said, "if she ever figures it out."

"Pay for what?" a familiar voice called from her bedchamber. Startled, McGonagall drew her wand and entered slowly. She relaxed when she saw a silver lynx sitting on her bed.

"Kingsley, what brings you here?" she said, faster than she meant to.

"What do you suppose?"

"Of course," McGonagall said, regaining her composure. "Please, go on. What's happened with the Order?"

"Nothing new," Kingsley said. "We were actually wondering about Hogwarts. We heard someone from the Ministry came today."

"Oh, that," she said. She briefly explained everything Yaxley had said. Kingsley's Patronus made no expressions as she told what happened, but when Kingsley spoke again, his voice was troubled.

"That does not bode well," Kingsley said. "Have you thought of researching the Carrow family tree?"

"They beat me to it. Alecto just spent the last hour showing it to me. It's probably fake, but who do you think Snape would side with if I contested it?"

"That is unfortunate." Kingsley was silent for a moment. "That is all I can think of at the moment, Minerva. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, Kingsley. Don't apologize. We agreed I was to watch Hogwarts. You have your own problems.

"I do," Kingsley agreed. "I had best be going now. I shouldn't stay here too long."

"Right. Good night, Kingsley." The Patronus vanished instantly, not leaving so much as a wrinkle on her sheets to indicate it had been there.

McGonagall changer into her night clothes, thinking as she did. She was pleased Kingsley had learned to control his Patronus better. Before, they had only been able to send brief messages with their Patronuses, and not actually receive any. Now, he seemed to have learned to use the Patronus as a communications medium. She wished he could have stayed to talk longer, but he was one of the most wanted men in the country, so she understood.

As she drifted off to sleep, another idea came to her. A longshot to be sure, but worth looking in to. If it panned out, she could probably put to rest this nonsense about half-bloods to rest.

.

"Headmaster!" McGonagall called after Snape, following him out of the Great Hall after breakfast. "Professor Snape, I need to speak with you." Snape stopped and turned to look at her. He practically rolled his eyes and turned away, but he waited for her to catch up.

"What can I do for you, Professor?" he sounded exasperated as he resumed his stride.

"I want to speak with you about this blood purity policy," she said, struggling to keep up with Snape's deliberately long stride.

"Surely that wouldn't affect you, Minerva? Your blood is pure, isn't it?"

"It's your blood I'm more interested in," McGonagall said.

Snape froze in mid-stride. "What are you talking about?"

"Would you rather speak in private?" McGonagall said.

Snape looked back and forth down the empty hallway and saw nothing. "This is fine, I'd rather get it over with. So what's this all about?"

"You know very well what this is about, Severus," she said. "I know who your father is. I have the documentation from when you first enrolled. There are records of that in the library, and I found them." Snape seemed to grow, if possible, a little paler. "I'll be sure to show that records to the Carrows and anyone else I can find if you implement that policy."

Snape glared daggers at her. She did not think he would attack her out in the hallway, but kept he hand near her want just in case. His mouth was a thin, tight line until he spoke. "Well, Minerva, I will certainly take this into consideration." He turned and walked down the hall towards his office. Behind him, McGonagall allowed herself to smile.

The following evening, she overheard Snape defending his decision to allow half-bloods to stay at Hogwarts to the Carrows. The Carrows were livid, and Snape did not look very happy either. McGonagall slept better that night than she had in some time. A small victory was still a victory.


	11. Chapter 11: The Sword of Gryffindor

**Chapter Eleven: The Sword of Gryffindor **

"Do you really think we can count on him?" Seamus whispered to Neville again.

"We haven't got much choice now, have we?" Neville whispered back. "Shh, someone's coming." Neville pressed himself against the wall under the invisibility cloak. A few moments later, Professors Flitwick and Slughorn rounded the corner. Neville tried to breathe as softly as possible as they walked by.

The previous day they had finalized their plans. They decided to steal the Sword of Gryffindor the next time Snape ate his dinner in the Great Hall. He usually ate in his chambers, but usually about once a week he would eat in the Great Hall with the Carrows. Neville had managed to convince Peeves to cause a commotion as dinner ended to buy them more time if they needed it.

Ginny was waiting in the Great Hall under an invisibility cloak, to see if Snape was there. Neville and the others waited in the hallway near Snape's office, also under invisibility cloaks. Ginny would come up in a few minutes and let them know what the situation was. If Snape was in the Great Hall, Michael would tell the gargoyle the password and they would all go inside and find the sword.

"What if he's got some other defenses?" Seamus asked. "Some traps or dark magic on the sword."

"We'll deal with that when we have to," Neville whispered back, as Ginny had said the last few times Seamus had asked such a question. He knew Seamus wasn't scared, just nervous, and it was making him talk more than he should. Yet the talking did provide some comfort to Neville as well, even if he knew they shouldn't.

Slughorn and Flitwick were too far away to hear them; they soon rounded a corner and their voices faded. As the minutes crept by and there was still no sign of Ginny, a few doubts began to enter Neville's mind. What if Peeves didn't hold up his end of the bargain? He hated the Carrows too, but that was no guarantee of anything. What if Michael backed out, or was bluffing? What if Snape didn't go after Peeves and caught them in his office? There seemed to be too many things that could go wrong.

Neville heard footsteps approach, but saw no body to go with them. Ginny appeared out of the air, looking out of breath.

"Sorry, I had a hard time getting out of the Hall. Snape's down there though, having a condescension match with Amycus. We've got time."

Neville pulled off his cloak and walked over to the gargoyle. Seamus, Luna, and Michael appeared from various points around the hall and joined them. Neville strained his ears but heard nothing nearby.

"Alright, out with it," Seamus said, elbowing Michael.

Michael looked very nervous. For a minute, Neville thought his earlier concern had been right, that Michael had been bluffing about knowing the password. But then he drew himself up a little and smiled at Ginny. "Voldemort."

Several of them gasped. Neville felt himself wince. Only Luna seemed unaffected.

"Michael, you idiot!" Ginny said. "Didn't you hear Potterwatch, that word's been made taboo, and-"

"I don't see any Snatchers," Michael said. "Do you? And look." He pointed at the gargoyle, which had stepped aside, allowing the wall to open up.

"I don't get it," Seamus finally said. "It was made taboo, wasn't it?"

"Well, it's simple, really," Michael said. "You can't Apparate into Hogwarts, right? That's what the Snatchers do. So they can't get in to Hogwarts, and anyway, why would they bother over some students? But no one ever wants to say his name, so it makes a great password. Ever if it occurs to someone, they won't want to guess it. It's pretty smart." Michael seemed very proud of this revelation. Neville had to admit it was pretty clever. Ginny scowled a little, but they quickly filed inside anyway.

About that time, they heard a crash come from further down the Hall.

"Peeves," Ginny said. "Closer than I'd like, but we should be fine if we can find the sword. Come on." They ran up the small staircase, but hesitated in front of the door.

Neville had only been in Dumbledore office once before. He'd been in school for nearly two months now, but he still thought of it as Dumbledore's office, even though he'd only been there once. He realized now that he probably always would. If he came back to Hogwarts ten years from now, he'd probably still think it belonged to Albus Dumbledore.

"Come on, what's the holdup?" Ginny asked.

"Might be a trap or something," Michael said, looking uneasily at the doorknob.

"Oh, bugger that. He's not going to set traps in his own office. Alecto would be setting them off every other day." Ginny shoved her way up to the front of the group. She put her hand on the door and stepped into the office.

Neville followed her in. The office was much as he remembered from the only other time he had been in here, during his fifth year. A Slytherin banner still hung in against one wall, and some of Dumbledore's silver instruments had been shoved to one side of the desk. The portraits of the old headmasters still hung along the wall, though one had been added since Neville was last here.

"Good evening," the portrait of Albus Dumbledore greeted. "I am aware my successor has made many changes to school policy, but I did not think allowing students into his office unattended during dinner was one of them."

"Professor, we're sorry," Ginny said. If she found it awkward to be scolded by a picture, she did not let it show. "We've just come to get something that will help Harry."

"Ah, I see," Dumbledore said with raised eyebrows. "And what would that be? If Harry had left something here I daresay I would have seen it."

"It's the sword, Professor," Ginny explained. "You… left it for him. You wanted him to have it, but Scrimgeour wouldn't let him."

"Ah, I thought Rufus might try something like that," Dumbledore said. "Well, I would not worry overmuch about it, Miss Weasley. I find these things will usually work themselves out. I would be more concerned about Professor Snape coming back, were I in your place. I would kindly suggest you leave before you are discovered."

"Professor, will all due respect, you seem like the last person to just trust that things will work out."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a little, but he only repeated "I would kindly suggest that you leave before Professor Snape returns."

"You going to tell Snape we were here if we don't?" Seamus asked.

"Professor Snape, Mr. Finnigan," Dumbledore corrected. "And my suggestion would not be kind if it were actually a threat."

"Then we're taking it," Ginny said with finality.

"Then I urge you to make haste. The Sword is hidden in a panel in the wall behind the desk." Ginny, Seamus, Michael and Luna all went over to the desk, though Luna got distracted by some of the silver instruments. Neville lingered by the portrait. "Something the matter, Mr. Longbottom?"

"Just wondering about what my Gran would say," Neville said, "if she found out about this." Dumbledore only smiled down at him. "She told me to keep my head down this year. Done poor work of that, haven't I?"

"I think Augusta would be proud of you, Mr. Longbottom, if she knew what you were doing here tonight." He paused to adjust his glasses. "Even if she would have a hard time saying it." Neville suddenly felt a great weight lifted from his chest, a weight he hadn't even known was there.

"I miss you, Professor," Neville said softly.

Dumbledore closed his eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Longbottom." Neville wiped his watering eyes before joining his friends behind the desk. Seamus had found a small section books on a shelf along the back wall he deemed suspicious since they couldn't be removed.

"They're fake!" he said, keeping his voice to a whisper so as not to wake the other portraits. "Must be hiding something."

"No, no," Ginny said. "Look, they're all like that." She grabbed a book off the side shelf. It could not be removed either. "It's just a security spell. Snape probably enchanted them so no one else can take them."

"Oh, right," Seamus said. "Makes sense." After a few more minutes of searching, Michael found a suspicious looking patch of wall close to the ground. The five of them investigated it but could find no way to open it.

"Maybe it needs a spell or something," Neville mumbled.

"Of course it needs a 'spell or something.' The question is what?" Michael said. Ginny glared at him, but tried casting Alohamora anyway. Nothing happened. They all tried various spells that they could conceive might somehow open a door to no avail.

"Well, it could be a password," Michael mused. "Like for the gargoyle?"

"A password could be anything. We'd be here all bloody night," Seamus said. "Snape won't be much longer."

"Then we'd better think fast," Ginny said. Michael immediately said Voldemort's name again, but it had no effect. Seamus and Michael guessed several words and phrase, but nothing worked.

"We don't even know if it is a password," Seamus said, slumping against the wall. "Maybe Snape has to touch it, like the books?"

"Let me try one more thing," Ginny said. "Something I remember from last year." Ginny cleared he throat and spoke directly at the wall. "Half-Blood Prince."

The effect was immediate. The spot of wall slid away. A small shelf slid out, revealing the sword of Gryffindor on a small stand.

"That's it!" Seamus said.

"Are you sure?" Michael asked. "It could be another sword. It's not like it has his name on it or anything."

"Godric Gryffindor," Ginny read from the hilt. "Fancy that, being there."

"Alright, alright!" Michael said, throwing up his hands.

"Neville, you grab it," Ginny said. "You're biggest."

Neville was a little surprised. He was the biggest of them, true, but for some reason he'd always pictured Ginny carrying the sword. Looking at it, it seemed so large, and looked so heavy. He held his hand over it, but hesitated. He could practically feel the magic resonating off of it. A certain type of magic though… it wouldn't be able to shoot spells or anything, but Neville had the feeling it would never break if used in combat.

"Come on," Seamus urged.

"Sorry," Neville said. He grabbed the sword by the handle. It felt right; it just seemed to fit. He could feel a slight jolt of magic running down his arm a little way. It was a very strong magic. He lifted the sword up, and found it was light. Too light, more like it was made of glass than metal. It felt natural. The hilt fit his hand almost perfectly, though that may have been another enchantment.

"Neville!" Ginny whispered harshly. The others had already walked over to the door.

"Sorry." Neville walked quickly over to the door, rejoining the others. Ginny reached for the doorknob, but it jerked open before she touched it. Before he could react, several spells shot into the room, knocking Luna and Seamus to the back of the room. Ginny and Michael got hit with a body-bind curse.

"Well well, what have we here?" Snape stepped into the room, planting his boot on Michael's hand as he went. Amycus and Alecto flanked him. "A few thieves it seems." Amycus and Alecto fired stunning spells at Neville. Both hit him in the chest, sending him flying against the wall. He dropped the sword when he hit the wall.

.

The students had been lined up together against the wall. Their body-bind curses had been released, but Snape had cast a spell to bind them all with rope. Snape and Amycus were arguing on the other side of the room. They were only a few feet away, but every time Neville tried to listen in, all he could hear was a buzzing sound. Alecto was not privy to the conversation; she watching the students, mocking them, and hurting them when they tried to talk, or when she felt like.

"Going to be a big punishment for you," Alecto said. "Trying to kill the headmaster! Oh, they'll send you little brats off to Azkaban for sure. Go before the Wizengamot for high treason! Maybe they'll just kill you. I don't know but I'm going to watch."

"We weren't trying to kill-" Seamus began, but was cut off by a grunt of pain when Alecto pointed her wand at him.

"Don't talk back!" Alecto shouted. Neville's eyes drifted over to Amycus and Snape again. He couldn't imagine what they would be arguing over. They'd caught them red handed. It seem pretty clear cut to Neville, dismal as it was.

His eyes again drifted to the sword. Snape had picked it up and leaned it against the wall. It had made Neville's blood boil to see Snape holding it. Looking at the sword made Neville feel worse than when he was looking at the teachers. He thought he saw something ripple along the wall near the sword, but he blinked and it was gone. It wasn't late, but maybe his head was still groggy from when he hit the wall.

"They're wondering if we should even wait," Alecto said. "Maybe we should just kill you right here? Self defense." Alecto grinned widely. "Might get a medal for it." Neville fought a rising panic. Alecto couldn't hear him talking any more than Neville could. She was just trying to scare them.

"What is the meaning of this?" Everyone's head turned toward the door where Professor McGonagall had just entered. Neville had never been so glad to see her. Or any teacher, for that matter. She walked right past the Carrows and stood in front of Snape. Snape waved his hand and the buzzing wound dispersed. "You have students trussed up in here for an hour without so much as a word to me or Professor Flitwick?"

"This matter goes somewhat beyond school rules," Amycus said, pushing himself between Snape and McGonagall. "These students were apprehended attempting to assassinate our beloved headmaster when we caught them."

"This is ridiculous!" McGonagall spat at him before turning back to Snape. "I demand an explanation."

"And you have been given one, if you only had the ears to listen," Snape said with a smirk, stepping away from the older woman. "These students were found in my office with a weapon. We were discussing what should be done. I'm sure you can agree this is a very serious matter."

"Which is exactly why I should have been informed! They are in my House, Severus!"

"You will address me as Professor Snape!" Snape said angrily. "And since you are here and we have not yet reached a decision, perhaps you could cease your chattering and say something useful." McGonagall fumed for a moment then stepped away.

"The students of my House should be turned over to me for their punishment," McGonagall said sharply.

"Now now," Amycus said, "you have shown flagrant disregard for the policies and rules of this institution. Why should we trust you? Besides, this is no small matter of discipline, this was an assassination attempt! Caught in the headmaster's office with a weapon of considerable magical power! No doubt this should be turned over to the Wizengamot!"

"The Wizengamot! Assassination! Preposterous!" McGonagall shouted. "Have you even asked _them_ why they're here?"

"Why bother? They would just lie," Amycus gave them a dirty look. "Filthy wretches. Professor Snape, call the Ministry of Magic and have some Aurors pick up these criminals." Neville felt his heart sink even farther. McGonagall, it seemed, it would not be able to get them out. Even if she took out her wand and tried to fight, it would be three on one. She wasn't stupid.

Even so, she still opened her mouth to protest. However, it was not her voice that contradicted Amycus.

"I believe I am in charge of this school, Professor Carrow." Snape's voice was level, yet Neville could sense flames behind each word. "You do not tell me what to do." He strode over to look at the students, though he spoke to the rest of the room. "Since I am headmaster, and since the infraction occurred in my office, I shall decide the punishment. Not Professor McGonagall, not Professor Flitwick, and certainly not Professor Carrow." Neville wasn't sure how he felt about this. Snape didn't seem to want to send them to Wizengamot, but that didn't mean his punishment would be any more pleasant.

"Stop jerking us around," Ginny said. "What are you going to do to us?"

"These students were not trying to kill me," Snape said. "They lack the fortitude or intelligence for such a task." Neville could almost feel Ginny getting angry beside him. He felt angry himself. "No, whatever they were trying to do it was inconsequential. I think a simple Saturday detention in the Forbidden Forest should be fine." McGonagall seemed to calm down a bit. The Carrows did not seem sure how to react to this news. "You will meet Professor Hagrid at his cabin on Saturday. I think a few hours in the Forbidden Forest should straighten them out."

"With Hagrid?" Amycus said, his smile vanishing. Alecto's lingered a moment longer, till she saw that Amycus had stopped. "Severus, what are you-"

"If you have a problem with my authority, you know who you can take it up with," Snape said. "I have another matter to attend to. Professor McGonagall, if you could escort these students to their quarters." Snape waved a hand at Amycus, who had opened his mouth, as he walked by. This dismissal seemed to fluster Amycus, and Snape got out of his office without having to speak to him again.

"I don't know what you're smiling at," Amycus snapped at Neville. Neville realized that in spite of himself, he had been grinning. Detention with Hagrid! That was almost a treat, more than a punishment. "If any of you think you've gotten off easy, allow me to assure you-"

"Excuse me, Professor, but the headmaster has ordered me to take these students," McGonagall cut in. She waved her wand and the ropes binding the students vanished. Neville hopped to his feet and left the fuming Carrows behind. His wrists hurt a little from the ropes, but otherwise he felt fine.

"That was quite an adventure," Luna said softly. She and Neville had fallen to the back of the group.

"Yeah, I guess it was," Neville said. In spite of the fact they'd almost been sent to the Wizengamot, his body still felt a little electrified.

"It was even better than the old days," Luna said. "We'll be able to look back on this in years and laugh."

"Yeah, I bet," Neville said. He didn't get Luna sometimes, but he did like talking to her.

"I will inform Professor Flitwick of this incident," McGonagall said, "in case he wants to add an additional punishment."

"Yes, Professor," Michael and Luna said in unison, Luna sounding far peppier. Michael, for his part, actually looked a little sick.

"Come," McGonagall said to her students. They walked down the hall a ways before McGonagall spoke again. "I hope you know you did a very foolish thing," she said. "And I hope you know how lucky you are. If Nick hadn't seen what was going on and informed me, you would have been left at their mercy. And if Snape hadn't wanted to show up Amycus, you would have been expelled, or worse." A wave of guilt washed over Neville. "I'd have recommended expulsion myself, under normal circumstances."

"We were trying to help Harry," Ginny said. "We were trying to get the sword."

"Miss Weasley," McGonagall said, "I understand you want to help but this sort of thing is not your concern…"

"Whose concern is it?" Ginny said. "I don't see that you've been doing much."

McGonagall stopped and whirled on her students. Her face had gone red with anger and perhaps something else as well. She said nothing, only stared at them. Neville and Seamus looked away, but Ginny held her gaze.

"You do not understand," McGonagall said slowly.

"What's to understand?" Ginny said. "Harry's out there risking his life and we're supposed to sit here and do nothing? Well I won't. We won't. There may not be much we can do from here, but we'll do whatever we can."

"I am doing what I can too, Miss Weasley, without losing my job or worse. The only thing that keeps me from leaving to fight with the Order is the thought of leaving you students here with Snape and the Carrows." McGonagall did not yell, though she was angrier than Neville had ever seen her.

Suddenly Ginny seemed very unsure. Her gaze faltered and she looked away. She didn't make any sort of apology, thought she looked like she wanted to. McGonagall turned and continued on down the passageway. At the portrait of the Fat Lady, McGonagall spoke the password and the portrait swung open. Ginny hopped through the hole quickly. Seamus went through afterwards a little slower, holding his midsection a little.

Neville lingered a moment longer. "Professor," he said. "We're really just trying to help. We can't sit here. You know what it's like." Neville hesitated. "I know you've been teaching us spells to help us out. I know you're just trying to look out for us, but this is something we have to do. It's what Harry would want. And Professor Dumbledore as well, I think."

McGonagall's expression softened. "I know, Mr. Longbottom," she said. "If you didn't want to do something, you wouldn't be in my House, would you?" She let out a sigh. "I have seen too many students and former students die young doing something stupid." For a moment, McGonagall looked very old. Her expression hardened again a moment later. "Be more careful, Mr. Longbottom." With that she turned and left down the hall.


	12. Chapter 12: The Forbidden Forest

**Chapter Twelve: The Forbidden Forest**

Though their official detention did not start till the following Saturday, they held no illusions that their punishment would start then.

"They'll make this week hell for us," Seamus said at breakfast. "They thought we got off easy." Neville and Ginny glumly agreed. They fully expected to have detentions rain down upon them all week. Yet the only person who got detention was Ginny, and even then only after interrupting Alecto to correct her several times in Muggle Studies.

Neville noticed only one curiosity all week. During potions on Tuesday, Amycus came into the classroom and demanded several potion components. Potions had never been Neville's strong point, but he knew some of the ingredients were complex and rare.

"Are you sure these are what you need?" Slughorn said as he laid the components out on his desk. "I don't know any potion that uses these, but if you were to switch out-"

"You are not the only one capable of making a potion in this school, Professor," Amycus said. "You need not question me like I was one of your students."

"Of course, of course," Slughorn said. Amycus swept the components into a bag and left.

Snape came in that same day just as class was ending slightly out of breath, though it could have been from anger.. He set Amycus' bag roughly on Slughorn's desk and quickly separated the components.

"Severus, what's going on?" Slughorn asked. "There… Professor Carrow… what are you…"

"Professor Snape, or Headmaster," Snape said tersely as he walked into the storage room. "You know what these components make, and I'm sure a brilliant teacher such as yourself could work the sole use for this potion on your own." Snape carefully put each component into a separate pouch taking them with him as he left the room. He pushed past Neville and Seamus, who had waited by the door.

"Professor," Seamus asked, "what potion is he making?"

Slughorn, who had turned quite pale, took a moment to answer. "Wolfsbane."

.

Dinner on Saturday was more jovial than usual. Few students had gotten detention that week, and thought of their detention actually cheered Ginny, Neville, and Seamus. Luna seemed happy at the next table as well, though Michael looked as though he hadn't touched any food all week. He didn't know Hagrid and didn't know what detention with him would be like. Ginny seemed to enjoy watching him squirm.

"Oh, so Ginny," Seamus said, pulling his eyes off Demelza. Robins, "what did you make of that business with the Wolfsbane?"

"Wolfsbane?" Ginny furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Neville, didn't you tell her?" Seamus looked to Neville.

"Oh, no, I forgot," Neville said, feeling his stomach clench. It was no big deal, but he'd forgotten a lot off little things lately that he shouldn't have. Especially not this year.

"Well, whatever," Seamus said with a shrug. "So Ginny, Snape and Amycus were trying to brew Wolfsbane."

"Wolfsbane?" Ginny sounded confused. "I thought… the only reason to make that is so a werewolf can control themselves during the full moon, right?"

"Yeah. We asked Slughorn, but he didn't know what it was for. I mean specifically," Seamus said. "You don't suppose one of them's a…"

"No, there've already been several a full moons this year, and we didn't see anything odd then, did we?"

"Well, I've got no clue. If there's no werewolf, why bother making it?" Seamus threw up his hands.

"It could be for the one who works for You-Know-Who," Neville said. "The one who… who hurt your brother." Neville shifted uneasily.

"Fenrir Greyback," Ginny said. "It must be for him. Snape can make it; he did it for Professor Lupin a few years ago. If Greyback could control himself during the full moon it would be useful."

Seamus opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny glared at him. In the past, Seamus hadn't been the most sympathetic person toward werewolves. He caught Ginny's look and elected to keep his mouth shut.

"We've got to be at Hagrid's soon," Neville said, attempting to break the tension. "We'd best get ready." The three of them trudged up to their room, and by the time they met back up the tension had dissipated and they talked easily.

The weather had grown cold quite suddenly. Neville had managed to find his warmest robes, pants, and socks. He hoped they would be warm enough once they got outside.

"You know, I've never actually been in the Forbidden Forest at night," Seamus said. "Dean and I snuck in once third year on a dare, but it was in the day."

"We'll be just fine," Ginny said. "Hagrid will be with us."

"Yeah," Seamus said, still not sounding convinced. Neville looked at Ginny, but she didn't seem like she had anything else to say.

"Don't worry so much," Neville said. "It's not as bad as all that. Hagrid knows to steer clear of all the really nasty places and most of the things in there like him anyway."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah," Ginny jumped in. "He's raised half of them himself. They won't hurt him or anyone he's with."

"Oh. That's good then." Seamus relaxed visibly, though he still looked uneasy.

If Seamus was uneasy, however, Michael Corner looked terrified. He shuffled nervously by the door of the Entrance Hall while Luna spoke about all the creatures her father suspected were hiding in the Forbidden Forest.

"…and of course Dumbledore denied it all. We don't blame him though. It must have been hard for him to smuggle it in without being seen. The Ministry would have had it killed, of course, after all that trouble in Bosnia. It wasn't its fault though, those people shouldn't have been throwing…"

"Luna, it's time to go," Ginny said. "Try to keep up, Michael. We wouldn't want you to fall behind and get lost." Michael sprang from his spot and followed the group to the door. He tried to stay between Seamus and Neville, which he must have deemed the safest spot. Neville thought they were supposed to wait for Filch, but didn't mind that they weren't. Filch would only make Seamus and Michael more nervous.

Hagrid was sitting in front of his door when they arrived. He stood up and greeted them his crossbow leaning against the cabin wall. "Ho there. Yer all got in a heap o' trouble, didn' yeh?" He pulled Ginny, Luna, and Neville into a big hug. "Guess yer lucky Snape an' them don' know what s'really like in the Forest, eh?"

"I think it had more to do with Snape wanting to keep Amycus in line," Ginny said.

"Those two do not get along at all," Luna agreed. "Wouldn't it be delightful if they got into some sort of fight?"

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad they left you wi' me. I seen what them Carrows do. I can't bring any fun creature teh class. I would of done summat abou' it, but McGonagall told me to leave off." Ginny made a grunting noise, but Hagrid didn't notice. "Anyway, we'd best be off. The sooner we start the sooner yeh can get to bed. Can yeh make some light? Alrigh', let's go."

Hagrid led them into the forest by the students' wandlight. Michael walked closest to Hagrid, his wand shaking noticeably.

"Won' take too long. Just going to check… to check on summat." He glanced at Michael and Seamus, who he did not know as well. "An' a few other things, then we'll be done."

In silence they followed Hagrid deeper into the Forest. In spite of his earlier reassurances, Neville felt uneasy. The last time he had been in the Forest he hadn't gone nearly so deep. The full moon hung low in the sky, seeming twice as big as usual. Sounds drifted from the darkness- the flutter of wings, the rustling of leaves the clop of hoof beats, the call of a strange bird. They even heard a distant howl. Neville jumped a bit when Fang, right next to him, howled back.

Soon after, Hagrid abruptly stopped and raised his crossbow. The students behind him all stopped as well, raising their wands higher for greater illumination. A centaur stepped out of the darkness on to the path in front of them. Hagrid lowered his bow, but only slightly.

"We had a deal, Hagrid," the centaur said.

"I ain't broken no deal," Hagrid said. All around them, Neville heard hoof beats from the darkness. Neville began to run through in his mind all the offensive and defensive spells he knew, thought he wasn't sure what would work best against centaurs. Michael Corner shook noticeably, and Seamus had gone a little pale.

"We had a deal," the centaur said. "You are welcome to come and go, but you must not allow other humans this far into the forest, into our land."

"They're children, Ronan," Hagrid said. "Jus' kids, an' they don' mean not harm." Neville swallowed. He and Seamus were both seventeen- adults, legally. He hoped the centaurs couldn't tell.

Ronan surveyed the students for a moment before turning back to Hagrid. "Though on the cusp of adulthood, I see you speak the truth," he said after a moment. In the darkness, a few other centaurs snorted. "See that they behave themselves and we shall let them be."

"'Course," Hagrid said, trying to keep his eye on as many of the centaurs as possible.

Ronan gave a signal and the centaurs faded into the darkness without a sound. Neville let his breath out. He hadn't realized he'd been holding it.

"Alrigh'," Hagrid said, swinging his crossbow across his back. "That ought ter be the worst o' it. They been a mite antsy this year, since Dumbledore…" his voiced trailed off. He cleared his throat and continued. "Well, they've been antsy. Don' mean no harm, just watching out fer themselves. Let's get a move on." Hagrid started off into the forest again. Michael scurried after him, and the others came more slowly.

"I think we're going somewhere," Seamus whispered. "I mean, we're going in a strait line. We're not just walking around. He keeps looking up at the stars."

"I don't know," Neville said. He'd heard that Hagrid kept some unusual pets, and no one would forget the skrewts. But Neville had no idea what specifically they might be going to see.

Before long, Neville realized the ground was sloping upward. He knew there were mountains around Hogwarts, but he didn't know why Hagrid would take them there.

"Hagrid," Neville said when he noticed that the trees were thinning, "where are we going?"

"I'm jus' checkin' up on something," Hagrid said without looking back.

"We're in the mountains," Ginny said.

"In the middle of the night," Seamus put in.

"The moon is so pretty," Luna said. Neville glanced at her breifly, but looked back a moment later. Luna was staring straight up at the moon, hanging full in the night sky. She never looked down, but always seemed to find her footing. She actually looked graceful. Neville stumbled and realized he'd been staring.

"Don' you worry about it. I'll handle it; you lot can jus' wait outside."

"Outside what?" Michael Corner's voice still shook, though there were only a few trees left for things to lurk behind.

"Jus' right here." Hagrid gestured to what at first looked like a shadow, but turned out to be a cave upon closer inspection. "Don' come in here, jus' wait and I'll be out in a jiff." Curiously, Hagrid set down his crossbow before entering the cave.

"W-what do you think he's doing in there?" Michael asked after a few minutes.

"If I know Hagrid," Neville said, "he's probably got some horrible pet hidden away up here." The group gave a collective groan, remembering the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Neville had that particularly horrible memory of being stuck in a small room with a three headed dog.

They heard a few bumps and muffled crashes from inside the cave, but no one wanted to venture in. Besides, they heard Hagrid's voice drift out from time to time and he seemed fine, though they couldn't make out what he was saying. The students gave sidelong glances at each other, but said nothing till Hagrid emerged from the cave about twenty minutes later. In the moonlight, Neville noticed Hagrid's right hand was bruised and starting to swell a bit.

"What happened in there?" Ginny asked.

"Best if yeh don't know," Hagrid said. He picked up his crossbow with his left hand. "Tha's all I need ter do. I'll get yeh back to the castle." Hagrid led them back into the forest proper. Neville guessed it was maybe an hour till midnight. He wouldn't even lose much sleep over this detention.

As they re-entered, more howls came from deeper in the forest. Fang again answered them. Then, another howl, this one a little different. Fang did not answer, but slunked over to Hagrid's side, tail between his legs. Hagrid absently ran his bruised hand over Fang's head. Something about the second howl disturbed Neville. He again tried to recall all the dueling spells he knew.

After about half an hour of walking, Neville suddenly got feeling he was being watched. He looked into the darkness beyond his wandlight, straining to hear, but couldn't make anything out.

"Ginny," Neville whispered. "I think the centaurs are watching us again."

"You think?" Ginny asked. "I don't think it's them. It feels worse than that."

"You feel it to?" Seamus said from behind them. "I don't like this at all." Ahead, Hagrid seemed to have noticed something as well. He stopped occasionally, listening, and even sniffed the air once or twice. Fang whimpered at his side and Michael trembled behind him. Luna still glanced up at the moon, but it was obvious she was scared as well.

Neville heard a sound, a rustling close behind them. It sounded like it might be coming from just beyond their wandlight. Hagrid stopped when something growled. It was still behind them and had gotten closer.

"Everyone get in front o' me and be ready teh run when I say," Hagrid said softly. The students quickly and quietly got in front of Hagrid. "Try an' follow Fang. Keep yer lights dim, just enough to see in front o' yeh."

For what seemed like ages they stood in perfect silence. Neville wondered if Hagrid knew what was out there. He imagined another Basilisk, or wild Thestrals. He heard all kinds of sounds coming from the forest, and no matter how small, he was able to imagine some monstrous creature as the source.

Then another growl.

"Go!" Hagrid shouted urgently.

The students ran. Fang quickly bounded in front of them. Neville tried to follow him, but the boarhound easily outstripped the students. He tried to follow the sound of Fang's footsteps, but those soon faded as well. Hagrid crashed behind them, urging them to keep running between breaths.

Their wands were barely light enough to see the ground, and only small amount of moonlight came through the treetops. Luna stumbled next to him and Neville's arm shot out to steady her. Otherwise, he looked at the ground, doing his best to not trip over anything or crash into any trees, though he wanted to look back and see what was chasing him.

He heard something off to his side. Fast, heavy footsteps. Definitely not human. A cloud passed over the moon, casting them in near total darkness as they ran into a small clearing.

A black shadow, the creature, leapt from the darkness at Neville. It brought him to the ground hard. Neville's wand flew from his hand. Its claws dug into his arms, and he could feel its hot breath as its mouth came closer to his face. He pushed out with his arms, but the creature was strong. Its jaws snapped inches from his face, dripping saliva onto his robes. It was too powerful. He wouldn't be able to hold it off for long.

Something hit the creature, shifting its weight. Neville pushed desperately and was able to get out from under it. He got to his knees and found himself next to Seamus.

"Stupefy!" Ginny and Luna called. Two red bolts shot from the tips of their wand at the beast. It nimbly dodged away as Seamus pulled Neville to his feet. Seamus rubbed his shoulder and handed Neville back his wand. Neville aimed his wand as the cloud passed by the moon, bathing the clearing in moonlight and revealed the creature.

Taller than a man, nearly as tall as Hagrid, but much thinner, the light confirmed Neville's suspicion- it was a werewolf. Its yellow eyes glinted maliciously in the moonlight and it let low, guttural growl. Its eyes locked briefly on each of the students and Hagrid in turn. Neville suppressed a shudder as he realized they were being sized up. Hagrid had his crossbow aimed, while Neville, Luna, Seamus, and Ginny all had their wands out. Michael was trying to hide behind a tree.

"_Fenrir,"_ Neville realized. _"This is why Amycus brewed the Wolfsbane. This is why they let us off so easy this week."_ A moment later, the werewolf sprung at Ginny. Physically smallest, it must have assumed she was weakest.

Ginny shot a stunning spell right at the werewolf's head. It moved its head, but the spell still caught it in the shoulder, stopping it momentarily. Neville and Seamus shot spells at it as it slowed, but the werewolf dropped to all fours and the spells sailed over its head. It turned back to Ginny and jumped again. Ginny raised her wand again, but it was too close.

A flash of silver hit the wolf near its back leg and the Wolf fell back to the ground. It let out a painful howl as it clawed at one of Hagrid's crossbow bolts stuck near its back leg. It let out a howl of pain, arching its head to the sky. From nearby, Neville heard the weak voice of Fang, and then several calls, answering in unison.

"Merlin, not more…" Seamus muttered. The wolf unsuccessfully trued to pull the bolt out with its teeth and then turned to Hagrid, who was having trouble getting another bolt loaded due to his swollen hand. The wolf charged with Hagrid still looking down at his bow.

"Bloody useless thing," Hagrid said angrily under his breath.

"Hagrid, look out!" Neville shouted as he shot a Full Body Bind curse at the werewolf. His and three other spells zoomed harmlessly past the wolf and into the forest. Hagrid tossed the crossbow aside as the werewolf leaped at him. Hagrid charged the beast and struck it midair in the gut with this shoulder. The werewolf flew backwards and crashed into a tree. It let whimpered but quickly regained its footing and jumped towards Hagrid again. Hagrid was caught off guard by the quick recovery and barely had time to grab its forelegs to keep the wolf's teeth at bay. Though Hagrid's arms were larger than the wolf's head, the wolf was somehow stronger, and its teeth got ever closer towards his neck and face.

"Run… you lot..." Hagrid said between labored breaths. "Get back… to th' castle…"

"We're not leaving you!" Ginny yelled. "_Stupefy_!" The wolf wrestled Hagrid into the spell's path and it bounced harmlessly off.

"Don't be… stupid…" Hagrid grunted. "Get the hell… out o' here…" As he finished the sentence, the Werewolf pulled up its hind legs and clawed at Hagrid's stomach. Hagrid let out a terrible cry of pain and fell forward. The wolf rolled itself on top of Hagid and dug its back legs into his gut once more. Its teeth snapped at Hagrid's shoulder, but Hagrid kept it away with his forearm under its chin.

"_Stupefy_!" Ginny and Luna shouted in unison. One of the spells struck the Werewolf in the side and knocked it off Hagrid. It collapsed several feet away.

"Get out…" Hagrid said weakly. "Werewolves… got some magical resistance…" Sure enough the werewolf was getting to its feet, shaking its head but undeterred.

Neville had his wand lined up and a spell on his tongue, but then something caught the wolf's attention. Its ears pricked up and it looked off into the forest. Neville and the others heard something a moment later. Something was crashing through the forest. Something very large. Fang howled again and the approaching creature howled back, nearly deafening from this distance.

A frighteningly familiar figure crashed into the clearing. Dwarfing even Hagrid, its three heads surveyed the clearing before coming to focus on the werewolf.

"Fluffy!" Hagrid shouted happily. Michael let out a yelp and scurried off into the darkness.

The werewolf seemed to shrink a little. The three headed dog let out a low growl and began to advance on the werewolf. The wolf leaped onto Fluffy's middle head. It clawed at the head, trying to gouge out its eyes. Fluffy's other heads snapped at the werewolf. One of them caught it by the arm and flung it aside. It flew to the other side of the clearing, but landed on its feet. It slowly circled, eyes locked on Fluffy, considering the new threat. After a moment's pause it turned and retreated into the darkness. Fluffy began to follow.

"Atta boy!" Hagrid shouted. "Chase him down!" One of Fluffy's heads looked over at Hagrid and then at the students. Fluffy slowed down as the other two heads also turned to look at the students. He stopped right at the edge of the clearing and turned toward them. "I shouldn't o' said that…" Hagrid mumbled. "Now Fluffy, it's your mommy Hagrid…" Fluffy's heads barked as he charged at the students. They all shot spells and they turned to run, but most missed. Ginny and Luna's spells both hit the left head; it slumped and lolled. Fluffy slowed for a moment, but the other two heads were more than capable of continuing the charge.

"Run!" Seamus shouted, though most of them had already half-turned anyway. They ran toward the other end of the clearing. It wasn't far. If they could get deeper into the forest they could lose Fluffy. Surely the dog wouldn't be able to run so fast among all the trees. Hagrid was still shouting, but Neville couldn't make out what he was saying.

Neville barely saw a small ditch in front of him and managed to leap over it. Ginny must have missed it, because Neville saw her fall and cry out. He turned to help; Seamus was faster. He pulled Ginny to her feet, but she was limping and he had to help her along. Fluffy was getting too close, and the two of them weren't moving fast enough. Neville's Stunning Spell hit the dog in the side, while a blue spell from Luna hit the middle head. Fluffy slowed and staggered but did not stop. They both hit the dog with Stunning spells again, but this only made made it angry. It renewed its charge.

There wasn't time for another spell. Fluffy was too close. Two heads were still conscious. _"One for Seamus, one for Ginny."_ The thought went through Neville's head like a lightening bolt. He and Luna ran back for them. One part of his mind knew it was stupid, that at least he and Luna might make it if they ran, but that just wouldn't be right. He had to try.

A loud roaring sound came from behind him. Neville turned, fearing the Fenrir had come back, but Neville saw nothing until a shadow passed over him and he looked up. Soaring above the trees but descending rapidly was what appeared to be a large Muggle car. It crashed into Fluffy's side, knocking him away from Seamus and Ginny and pinning him against a tree.

There was a puase. Even Hagrid could only stare as the car restrained Fluffy. Then Ginny spoke distantly. "That… that's my dad's old car." Neville recalled the story of Harry and Ron's arrival their second year, how they had crashed a flying car into the Whomping Willow. Neville had never thought to ask about the car; he just assumed it had been destroyed.

"We'd best go," Hagrid said softly, walking toward them. "Fluffy's not in a good mood." He grabbed Ginny and slung her over his shoulder before bounding through the forest. Neville and the others followed. Less than ten minutes they emerged from the forest near Hagrid's hut. Fang was already waiting on the doorstep. He ran up to Hagrid and jumped around him as he set Ginny down.

For his part, Neville was shaking all over. He'd never done so much physical activity in his life. He didn't know how the Muggles played sports where they actually had to run around. Being killed by two different monsters didn't help his condition. He collapsed on his hands and knees near the hut, still shaking. His arms hurt where they'd been cut.

"Look over there! Is that them?" a voice called through the night. Shapes came toward them in the darkness. As they came into the torchlight, the shapes were revealed to be Profoessor McGonagall, Sprout, Slughorn, and Flitwick, who cam floating along on a stool. "It is, it's them!" It was Flitwick who spoke. The teachers immediately began to check on the students.

"What in the name of Merlin happened?" Professor Sprout asked as she examined the uninjured but exhausted Seamus.

"Doing the detention," Hagrid said, "an' the bloody werewolf showed."

"No!" Professor Sprout shrieked. Flitwick froze.

"Were any of you bitten?" McGonagall crouched next to Neville. "Neville, are these bites?"

"No, just scratches, Professor," Neville said. "No one was bitten." Neville slowly got to his feet with McGonagall support. How did you know?"

"Thank Merlin," McGonagall said. The other professors calmed noticeably. "Young master Corner came to Professor Flitwick as soon as he got back and told us that something happened during the detention. We couldn't get much out of him, but we knew it was no good."

"Miss Weasley is hurt as well," Flitwick said. "Her ankle is twisted, but Pomfrey should be able to set right much easier than I…" Flitwick's voice trailed off. Neville followed his eyes to Hagrid. Hagrid had slumped against his hut, arms clenched around his stomach. Fang sat at his side, whimpering and licking Hagrid's face. A puddle of blood had formed around him, running down from his stomach and the wounds in his arms.

"Good boy, Fang" Hagrid said softly. "Good boy. Yeh called Fluffy, didn' yeh? Good boy…" his head dropped for a moment before coming back up.

"Great Merlin!" McGonagall shouted. "Hagrid!"

"'s nothing. Be fine in the morinin', jus' need a bit o' shuteye…" his head dropped again and he slumped to the ground.

"He needs Madame Pomfrey!" Professor Sprout shouted. "_Mobilicorpus!_" Hagrid's body lurched slightly but didn't lift off the ground. Sprout tried it again, but still nothing happened. She took a deep breath and raised her wand again.

"Wait a moment," Flitwick said. "Hagrid is half-giant. He has too much magical resistance."

"I'll fetch Madame Pomfrey here then," McGonagall said.

"No time," Flitwick said. Flitwick raised his wand, still floating on his stool, and traced an outline around Hagrid's prone form, causing a thin line to appear in the dirt. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The section of ground Flitwick had traced lifted up into the air, bringing Hagrid and a startled Fang with it. Fang jumped off, but Hagrid stayed on. "I must go quickly. I can't hold this too long." Sure enough, some small pieces of dirt were already falling off. Flitwick and Hagrid hurried off toward the castle.

"Come. We're all going to the Hospital Wing," McGonagall said.

"But Professor, I'm not hurt."

"I'll hear no arguments, Mr. Finnigan. I'm going ahead, but I expect you to be right behind me once you've caught your breath." Her tone offered no room for contradiction. Seamus and Luna trudged after McGonagall and Sprout. Neville and Ginny, their wounds forgotten in light of Hagrid's more serious ones, were slower. Ginny couldn't put much weight on her twisted ankle, so Neville put an arm around her to help.

"I hope Hagrid's alright," Neville said as they started walking.

"I'm sure he's fine. It would take more than one little werewolf to take him down."

"That werewolf wasn't so little," Neville said. Ginny laughed a little.

"Everything's little compared to Hagrid," she said. "If he can handle giants and dragons, I think he'll be fine."

"Dragons? When did Hagrid handle a dragon?"

Ginny laughed again. "You never heard? Harry and Hermione helped Hagrid smuggle a dragon out of the castle their first year."

"Really?" Neville said. "I mean, that really happened?"

"Yeah. They kept it real hush-hush to keep Hagrid from getting in trouble, but it happened. I'm surprised you hadn't heard though, it was so long ago."

Neville had the horrible memory of sitting in McGonagall office and being told she was taking away fifty House points. "I guess they don't tell me stuff like that." Neville was silent as they finally reached the castle and started walking toward the Hospital Wing.

"It's not like that, Neville," Ginny eventually said. "You know they're your friends, right?"

"I just wish they trusted me more." Even after the Department of Mysteries, they didn't tell Neville much. Sure, he supposed it had been brave of him to go, but what had he really done besides get his nose broken?

"If they could see what you've done this year, they'd trust you." Ginny squeezed the hand Neville had around her waist.

"Thanks…" Neville said, suddenly feeling awkward.

"And… this is very overdue," Ginny said slowly, looking away. "But I'm sorry I left you and spent the entire Yule Ball with Michael. That was mean of me."

"It's fine," Neville said. "It was a long time ago. I wasn't very interesting back them either."

"No, I went with you and walked away almost as soon as we were through the door. I shouldn't have done and I'm sorry." That was a bit of an exaggeration; they'd had a dance at one point, but he kept stepping on her toes and she hadn't danced with him again. It had been nice for Neville though.

"Well, thanks," Neville said. "But it's alright. I did have a good time, really." Neville realized that since Ginny had come out of her shell during he second year, he'd never seen her apologize so sincerely, or generally act so nicely. Not that she was particularly mean or angry, but this was just… different. She was more passionate, intense, occasionally to the point of anger. He wondered if this was the side of her that Harry saw.

They had reached the door of the Hospital Wing. Ginny stood up on the toes of her good foot, still leaning against Neville for support, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Alright then," she said. "Let's go get checked out."

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay! It's been forever, I know. If it makes you feel any better, I've spent the last two and a half hours finishing up this last chapter so I could get it up tonight. I wasn't as free as I thought I would be this summer (Azkatraz was awesome) so I haven't been able to update. However, I should be able to get the next four chapters out relatively quickly, which will wrap up the first half of the story. After that I should be able to fall into a regular (and hopefully faster than before) rhythm.

Also, thanks to my friends Jennifer for guest-betaing this chapter.


	13. Chapter 13: Support Harry Potter Party

**Chapter 13: Support Harry Potter Party**

"And to Draco Malfoy, an award for loyal service and dedication to the school." Snape pointed his wand and a large, golden medal floated down from the staff table and pinned itself on to Draco's robes. Draco smiled as the Slytherin table applauded him, the rest of the Great Hall scowling and muttering. They dared not raise their voices any higher, however, and this only made Draco smile wider. "Only last night Draco chased away a group a renegade students attempting to vandalize the school," Snape went on. "Though the students escaped before they could be apprehended or identified, Hogwarts appreciates Mr. Malfoy's valiant effort." More applause from the Slytherin table and Draco returned to his seat.

"Wish I'd have been there," Nott said eagerly. "We'd have caught the half bloods and blood traitors if I had."

"Of course," Draco agreed. "Instead I was stuck with these louts." He gestured at Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him. Normally, the two of them could handle tasks like "Get him!" with an odd sort of grace. Last night, however, they had let the members of Dumbledore's Army escape. Malfoy had as well, he supposed, but he had an excuse and hadn't messed up nearly so bad.

"I heard they grabbed Filch by mistake," Blaise Zabini put in. There were a few snickers from around the table.

"He was in the shadows, sneaking about," Crabbe said defensively. More laughter.

"More like he was trying to catch them as well," Nott said. "And what happened to you, Malfoy?"

"It was Finnigan. The half blood," Draco said. "I'm sure of it. He transfigured the floor, made it trip me, and got away." Draco knew this story too was open to ridicule. However, though the floor had quickly changed back leaving Draco no evidence, no one had questioned his story.

After breakfast, Draco walked with Pansy to their first class, Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid had been out all week, replaced by the old witch Grubbly-Plank. Draco didn't mind her, or at least he despised her far less that Hagrid. The oaf, as Draco liked to think of him, had been in the Hospital Wing all week. Word was he'd been attacked by a werewolf. Draco had to snicker when he heard people wondering how it could have happened.

"Today," Grubbly-Plank said, "we will be going over Stutes." She pointed to a number of medium sized squealing furry creatures. "As you may know, Stutes are one of the few mammals capable of magical flight. As a result, they have been extensively hunted for their fur, which can be used to make flying carpets and enhance brooms. However, there is far more to a Stute than that…"

Draco's mind drifted away. Stutes held almost no interested for him. They could fly, big deal. They looked like colorful rats. Instead, Draco thought of what else he might do to Potter's friends. They had been shaken up following their detention in the forest. Draco had initially thought that far too light a sentence, but after overhearing Amycus and Fenrir Greyback talking in Amycus' office, and then hearing about the werewolf attack, Draco realized what had happened. He should have known Snape had something more than a walk through the forest planned. A shame none of them been bitten. But they had been hiding in their rooms ever since that night, giving Draco the chance to really organize the Slytherin night patrols. They worked in shifts, and no part of the castle would ever be vacant for more than ten minutes at a time. Not perfect, but more than Snape or the Carrows were doing.

Magical Creatures ended soon enough and Draco walked back to the castle.

.

The day was otherwise uneventful till dinner. Draco and Nott had sat in the back during Charms making jokes. Flitwick could hear them, but didn't bother reporting them. He knew Snape wouldn't do anything.

Potions was fine. He didn't care for Slughorn as much as Snape, of course, but Slughorn had stopped giving him the cold shoulder since the beginning of the year, though he still wasn't exactly friendly.

Walking into the Great Hall for dinner, Draco heard Finnigan and Longbottom talking about some sort of party. Not such a big deal- the Slytherins had parties in their common room all the time- but something about their undertones made Malfoy suspicious.

"What are you two talking about?" Malfoy called after them. Longbottom and Finnigan turned back to look at him guiltily. "Not planning a secret party, are we? Nothing seditious I should hope."

"Not secret a party," Finnigan said casually. "Just not for your type."

A wave of rage swept over Malfoy, but he calmed it. "It's rude to exclude people," Draco said snapped. "Especially your betters. So what's going on? Your birthday, Longbottom?"

Before Longbottom could reply, Nott spoke up. "Maybe you'll get another Howler from your grandma this year." A few clustered Slytherins laughed. "Oh, or another Rememberall."

"I remember the last one got Gryffindor its best Seeker in years," Longbottom said slowly. "One you never managed to beat, Malfoy." Though Longbottom's tone was uncertain, Finnigan laughed uproariously. Draco felt the blood rush to his face, and barely restrained himself from reaching for his wand. "And actually, I've still got the old one." Longbottom pulled a small, clear orb from his robes. "I don't need it anymore. Catch." Longbottom threw the Remeberall at Draco full force. Draco's hand shot out, missed, and the Rememberall shattered against the wall. Laughter erupted from the crowd, with a few Slytherins joining in. Longbottom and Finnigan turned to walk away. Draco wanted to rush after them, but Nott laid a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get them another time," he said.

"What's going on?" Professor Sinistra finally managed to work her way to the front of the crowd.

"Those two threw something at us," Nott said quickly, pointing at Longbottom and Finnigan. They turned around to see what was happening. "Them! Those two!"

"Five point from Gryffindor each!" Professor Sinistra said, looking around nervously. She looked like she might say something else, but then quickly turned and left.

"There, see?" Nott said with a smirk. "Keep your head and an opportunity will present itself. We need to find out what they're doing." They went and sat down in the middle of the Slytherin table.

"All I heard was something about a party."

"That all?" Nott blinked. "Just a party? It probably is Longbottom's birthday…"

"No, no," Draco said, shaking his head. "They wouldn't keep something like that a secret, would they? There's no reason."

"Maybe. I'll keep my ears open." By then Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini and Pansy had come to join them. He half listened to Zabini go on about the Abbot girl again. He'd taken quite a liking to her. Draco thought she was attractive enough, but he couldn't stand Hufflepuffs. Dinner ended and he went back to his tower for the night.

.

Draco heard nothing of the secret party for the next few days. He began to suspect the party may really have been something insignificant, or that it had already happened. Yet he noticed that students from other Houses tended to either stop talking when he came by or always seemed to be talking about potions. It just felt wrong.

Unfortunately, his confrontation with Longbottom and Finnigan had not gone unnoticed. Though they had been punished, younger students from every other house threw things at him all weekend. Even when Draco caught something and threw it back the mocking continued. It left him in a bad mood all week.

The next Wednesday, on the way to dinner, he fell in behind a group of Hufflepuffs talking about a party.

"Grab one," Draco ordered Crabbe and Goyle. The Hufflepuffs heard them coming and tried to scatter but they managed to grab one. "Against the wall." The embarrassment of the past week still burned him.

"Let me go!" The Hufflepuff squirmed but Crabbe and Goyle were far too strong.

"What's this party I keep hearing about?" Draco said smoothly. He took out his wand and held it at his side.

"I don't know!" the boy said.

"You're a poor liar." Draco waved his wand in front of the boy's face, making a scolding noise. "I can find out the hard way, if you like."

"Use the Cruciatus Curse," Crabbe said eagerly, smiling. "Really make him squirm."

Draco ignored the remark. He felt very uneasy about that particular curse since the incident over the summer.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Draco said. Crabbe looked a bit disappointed. "Our friend looks ready to talk." Draco traced his wand along the Hufflepuff's face. His eyes went wide and tried to follow the wand without moving his head.

"It's for Harry Potter," the boy said finally. "Professor Hagrid's throwing a support Harry Potter party as soon as he gets out of the infirmary on Saturday."

Draco looked at the boy for a long moment, and decided he believed him.

"Will Finnigan be there? And Longbottom? The Weasley girl and Looney Lovegood?"

"I don't know!" the boy said, nearing tears. "I just saw a notice in the common room."

"Very well. Let him go." Crabbe and Goyle let the boy go and he ran off down the hall and out of sight.

"Are you going to bust up the party?" Goyle asked.

"We could do that. It might be fun," Crabbe went on.

"No. There will be too many of them," Draco said, recalling Crabbe and Goyle's blunder with Filch. "And Hagrid has magical resistance."

"No one's immune to the killing curse," Crabbe said. Goyle nodded in agreement.

"Oh come off it. I don't know the killing curse," Draco said. "Let's get some dinner." Crabbe and Goyle could be distracted from almost any thought at the mention of food.

.

Draco quietly told Nott what he'd learned over dinner. He didn't want anyone else to overhear and do something stupid. Nott took it all stoically, keeping his comments to a minimum. After dinner, however, he hung back with Draco.

"So you want to handle it yourself?" he asked softly, looking around at the other Slytherins.

"I'd like to," Draco said, nodding. "Merlin knows Snape doesn't have the spine to anything." Nott let out a laugh. "I couldn't do it on my own. There's too many of them."

"What are you thinking then?"

"I may go to the Carrows."

Nott considered this for a moment. "That seems best." Draco began to walk toward the dungeons, but Nott pulled him aside. "No time like the present." Draco decided not to protest. The sooner he got it over with the better. He only hoped Alecto didn't take it as an invitation to get closer to Draco.

The Carrows shared the office that previously belonged to Charity Burbage. Though her body had never been found, Draco knew what had happened to her. He was one of the few that did. He thought of Nagini, her body swelled with the body of a teacher he had known. Though the woman was the worst kind of blood traitor, Draco would have preferred to exclude her, not actually harm her…

He knocked on the door as soon as he arrived so he wouldn't have time to rethink his decision.

Alecto opened the door. She grinned when she saw Draco. "Oh, Draco. Come in." Alecto gestured for the students to enter.

"Ah, young master Malfoy. And Master Nott, I believe?" Amycus greeted from his desk. "What brings you to our office?"

"I have something to tell you, Professor Carrow."

"Draco, please. Call me Amycus."

Draco cleared his throat. "Alright. Amycus."

"Much better." Amycus grinned in an unnerving way. "So, Draco, what do you have to report?"

"I believe… I heard that Professor Hagrid plans to throw a party for students in support of Harry Potter."

"Have you now?" Amycus leaned towards him.

"Yes. I believe it will be in his hut on Saturday. Once he gets out of the Hospital Wing."

Draco expected an angry reaction. Alecto did snort angrily, but Amycus only leaned back in his chair and smiled wider.

"Thank you, Draco. It was good for you to come to me. You have not informed Professor Snape?" Draco shook his head. "Then please keep it that way. I shall handle the situation, make the appropriate contacts…" Amycus leaned over his desk and grabbed a piece of parchment. "I have much to do. Is that everything?"

"," he added after a pause.

"Good. You may go now." Amycus and Alecto immediately became engrossed in plots and ideas. Though they all sounded like good, Draco didn't want to spend any more time around them, so he and Nott let themselves out.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Nott said.

"No," Draco said.

"And now you know it will be handled properly."

"Yeah," Draco said. "You're right. Let's go to the common room."

.

Draco grew more and more excited as the week went on. He'd missed it, the last time they'd driven the oaf away, with Umbridge, but this time Amycus promised he would get to watch. There were some perks to having the Carrows like him. Besides his growing anticipation, the week passed without incident until Friday night.

Draco awoke quickly when he felt a weight on his bed. For a moment he thought it was Pansy coming for another late night visit, but it was too heavy to be her. Draco opened his eyes and saw a large figure looming over him.

He tried to cry out and reach for his wand, but the figure was too fast. A wand pressed against his throat, and a nonverbal spell took Draco's voice while his wrist was slammed down with a painful crack on his bedside table. He tried to scream, or even whimper, but found he could do neither.

"Lumos," a cold, sharp voice spoke. The tip of his assailant's wand lit up, revealing the long, twisted face of Antonin Dolohov. "We need to talk, Malfoy," Dolohov said. He spoke softly, but his voice lost none of its usual menace. "If I return your voice, will you promise not to scream?" Draco nodded. Dolohov was not someone you disagreed with. Dolohov touched his wand again to Draco's throat. Draco could tell his voice had come back, but he suppressed even light whimpers over his wounded hand.

For a long moment, Dolohov said nothing, the wandlight casting shadows across his twisted face. Draco didn't even try to meet his gaze.

At last he spoke. "If you ever hurt me again, Malfoy, with the Cruciatus Curse, I will kill you." Draco swallowed, but Dolohov kept talking. "I don't care what the situation is, or the reason. No one does that to me. The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because you're too young and stupid to know better."

"He made me…" Draco said with a shaky voice. "You know what happens to those who defy him…"

"I don't care." Draco looked into Dolohov's eyes and saw nothing he could reason with or appeal to.

"And if I have to replace that half breed giant freak when we take him, if they make me stay here the rest of the year, it will go badly for you. I know you're the reason they're getting rid of him." He let the statement sink in. "Bad enough that I have to come here as much as I do." Draco tried to speak, tried to even say that Hagrid would probably be replaced by Grubbly-Plank but he couldn't find any words.

"Nox." Dolohov's wandlight went out. Draco watched his dark form walk across the room and leave. He didn't start shaking until the door closed all the way.

Eventually he calmed himself down. His right wrist was broken and it throbbed painfully. But the last thing he wanted was to be found weak and wounded by one his night patrols, or Filch. He found a way to rest his hand in a way that wouldn't hurt much and hoped he wouldn't roll over in his sleep.

.

Draco woke up early and went to the Hospital Wing before breakfast. He told Madam Pomfrey he had tripped on the trick step and she didn't question him. She cast a quick spell to reset the bone and then gave him a sip of Skele-grow to ensure it healed properly. By the time he reached the Great Hall he could move it properly, though it still felt funny.

"It's tonight, isn't it?" Nott whispered as Draco sat down for breakfast.

"Do you want to watch?"

"Of course!"

"We'll have to leave around seven-thirty. They're going for him at eight. We'll find a place to watch with Amycus."

"He's not going to help?"

"No, they called in some outside help."

The rest of the day seemed to fly by. Draco's wrist felt perfectly normal by lunchtime. He glanced over some of his homework, but didn't do any of it. He knew that no teacher would dare fail him, save maybe McGonagall. He wasn't taking Transfiguration this year, though, so he had nothing to worry about.

Just after seven Nott wandered over from the pretty 6th year girl he'd been trying to win over . "Time to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." Inconspicuously as they could, Draco and Nott left the common room and walked through the dungeons. They soon emerged into the cool night air. Amycus was waiting just outside the door.

"Ah, Draco. Just in time. You brought a friend? That's fine. Come along and stay out of the way."

They followed Amycus toward the Greenhouses. Several men and women waited just out of sight of the cabin. Some wore the uniform of Aurors, but others Draco recognized. Dolohov, Jugson, Avery, and Crabbe's father were among them.

"Ten of you?" Amycus said. "Isn't that a bit… excessive?"

"He took out… took out five or six of us two years… last… erhm, the other time," an Auror answered.

"You sure you're alright, Dawlish?" another Auror asked.

"Fine," Dawlish said. "We move on your mark," he said to Amycus, which made Dolohov snort.

Amcyus clapped his hands together. "Then let us begin!"

The Aurors and Death Eaters marched toward Hagrid's cabin. It had been decorated with balloons and streamers for the party. The oaf had even made a crude sort of banner which hung over the door.

"We wait here," Amycus said.

Draco watched as the Aurors and Death Eaters silently surrounded the little hut. Occasionally Hagrid's voice would drift by on the wind; it sounded like he was singing. Once the hut was completely surrounded wands were raised, and red light shot from the tip of each wand. The spells crashed through the windows and doors. Hagrid would have been hit no matter where he was.

"Fools," Amycus muttered under his breath. Draco echoed the comment silently. Simple stunning spells wouldn't work on Hagrid.

The cabin had gone silent. The attackers began to slowly converge.

One of them started up to the front door while a few others waited at the foot of the steps. Others gathered at the back door and by the windows. The one by the door, an Auror, reached out slowly. The door had been blown inward and was just barely hanging on its hinges. He looked around carefully, hoping to spot Hagrid before entering the cabin.

The door burst outward, smashing the man in the head and knocking him backward. He landed several feet away, groaning. Hagrid stood in the doorway armed with a crossbow, a pink umbrella strapped to his back.

"He's armed!" one of the Aurors shouted.

"Disable!" Dawlish called out. "Don't kill…" But Jugson and Crabbe, who had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs, both shot off killing curses. Hagrid ripped his front door off its hinges and used it as a shield. The green bursts knocked him back but did not hit him.

Hagrid tossed the door at Jugson, hitting him in the head and knocking him over. Crabbe raised his wand and started to speak. "Avada-"

Hagrid leveled his crossbow and shot Crabbe in the chest. The old wizard dropped his wand and looked down at the arrow in his chest. He reached for it before falling to the ground.

Draco jerked with Crabbe's father hit the ground. Nott did the same a few feet to his left. Amycus snorted and started tapping his foot.

The other Auror's fired off a variety of spells. Most of them reflected harmlessly off Hagrid, barely slowing him down. One spell struck his crossbow, breaking it in his hands. Hagrid tossed the pieces aside as more spells struck him to little effect.

Hagrid lashed out with his hands and feet and knocked two more Aurors away. Avery came around from the side of the house and shot a killing curse, but it missed Hagrid and struck the ground. Hagrid looked to Avery and drew his pink umbrella. Draco has seen the thing before but never understood why the oaf had it.

"Expelliarmus!" Hagrid yelled. The spell shot from the end of the umbrella, going just over Avery's head.

"What the hell?" Avery shouted. "He's not a wizard, is he?"

"He just cast a spell, moron," Dolohov's voice shouted back from somewhere. Hagrid tried the spell again, but this time it only produced a loud crack and a flash of light that blinded Draco. When he could see again Hagrid was lifting Avery by the neck in one hand and snapping his wand with the other.

Dolohov appeared from nowhere and jumped on Hagrid's back. He must have dropped his wand during Hagrid's failed spell. Hagrid tossed Avery against the hut where the Death Eater crumpled to the ground.

Dolohov was the only Death Eater Draco knew that he trained his body in addition to his magic skills. He might be able to strangle the oaf. He was the only one who had a chance, anyway. Hagrid reached back and tried to grab hold of Dolohov, but the Death Eater was just out of reach. Hagrid's movement became more sluggish and Draco thought Dolohov might actually pull it off.

Then Hagrid fell on his back, smashing Dolohov to the ground. Draco heard a crunching sound and smiled a little. Poetic justice.

With the Death Eaters down, though, the rest of the Aurors stood no chance. They wouldn't use Unforgiveable Curses, and nothing else would work. Finally Dawlish got the right idea. He magically hurled Hagrid's own door at him just as Hagrid was confronting another Auror. The door hit him in the back of the head and shattered but Hagrid only stumbleed forward. He picked up a piece of it and cracked the Auror across the head. Then it was just Hagrid and Dawlish.

"Twice yeh've come after me, Dawlish," Hagrid said. "Thought we were friends once. Thought you were better'n that."

"Long… time ago," Dawlish said. "Got my orders."

"Do yeh?" Hagrid shouted. "Orders more important than old friends?"

"Draco, Nott, step back," Amycus said "I believe I will have to get involved." Amycus drew his wand and began to creep closer. Draco and Nott stepped away, their eyes still locked on Hagrid and Dawlish.

Dawlish raised his wand and started to cast what sounded like the Body-Bind Curse but fumbled the incantation. He held his wand up to his face, looking confused.

A stunning spell from Hagrid's umbrella caught him in the chest. He landed a few feet away and didn't move.

"Well," Hagrid said. "Best I be getting' out o' here…"

"You will not be leaving," Amycus said, walking down the hill toward Hagrid. Hagrid's umbrella jerked toward the voice.

"Professor Carrow?" Hagrid sounded confused. "Be best if yeh get out o' my way. Much as I'd like to hurt yeh, I need to get goin'."

"Can you not hear? Does all that hair impede the sound's progress to your ears?" Amycus sounded annoyed. "You are not leaving. You will be taken to the castle till men from the Ministry come to claim you."

"Only way yeh'll stop me if yeh kill me."

"Oh, I think you'll find me more creative than those Ministry brutes." Amycus flicked his wand. Hagrid braced for a spell, but the attack came from behind. A rock from the hut's chimney hit Hagrid in the back of the skull. He rocked forward, but didn't fall. Apparently deciding Amycus wasn't worth the trouble, he tried to turn and run and found he couldn't. Amycus had transfigured the ground to cover and bind Hagrid's feet to the ground, rooting him to the spot.

More bricks game from the chimney. Hagrid managed to weave away from some, but most caught him in the head, body, and back. Amycus brought several around front and stuck him in the face. Hagrid slumped over, face a bloody mess, and hit the ground. Amycus waved his wand and the ground seemed to swallow him.

Amycus walked over and stood by Hagrid. He groaned but said nothing.

"The Aurors are skilled, but lack the drive to do what is necessary," he said slowly. "As you can see, I do not. Your strength is nothing against a real wizard, you half breed freak."

A few of the Aurors and Death Eaters were finally starting to rouse. Amycus flicked his wand and Jugson was jerked unsteadily to his feet. Amycus magically shook him till Jugson's eyes focused on him. "I have subdued your target. I trust you can take him to the castle."

"The… castle?" Jugson said blearily. "Shouldn't we take him on to the Ministry?"

"After that display, you think I trust you to transport him? No, I will request an additional escort." Amycus turned, flourishing his cloak. "Besides, I want them to know who really caught the freak," he said over his shoulder. "Come, Draco."

Draco and Nott followed, talking excitedly about the battle. Draco found it hard to feel sorry for Crabbe in light of all the excitement. He didn't think he was close to his father anyway. Crabbe rarely talked about him.

Amycus eventually left them behind while they talked. They were both quite certain they could have done a much better job that the Aurors did, and some of the Death Eaters too. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the small group of Longbottom, Finnigan, the little Weasel and Looney Lovegood till they had nearly bumped into them.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" the Weasel demanded.

"Just coming back from a show," Draco said happily. "A private one." The look that spread over their faces was priceless.

"What's happened?" Finnigan demanded.

"Don't take that tone with me, half blood," Draco snarled.

"Professor Carrow and the Ministry took care of some subversive activity," Nott answered. "Professor Hagrid has been taken into custody."

"Malfoy, you bastard!" Finnigan shouted, drawing his wand. Malfoy and Nott did likewise, and the others followed suit.

"Your voice gets so high when you're mad," Draco said wryly. "Must be the weak blood from you dad." Finnigan raised his wand but Longbottom grabbed his hand and pulled it down.

"Finally you show some sense, Longbottom. Learned the value of turning tail and running," Draco said. Nott laughed again. He and Draco put away their wands and brushed past. "Or maybe you just learned who your betters are."

The two of them returned to the castle, smiling.


	14. Chapter 14: The Chained Giant

**Chapter Fourteen: The Chained Giant **

"What is the meaning of this?" McGonagall demanded of Amycus Carrow. She was shaking, and could barely think strait because of her anger. He was sitting at the breakfast table with his sister and several other teachers.

"Meaning of what, Minerva?"

"I went to see Professor Hagrid before breakfast this morning and found his cabin deserted and in shambles." Her blood was boiling; she was actually having hard time forming words that weren't screams or spells. She could not remember the last time she'd been so angry. "There was blood on the ground."

"Hm." Amycus tapped his chin. "I _may_ have some knowledge of this incident."

"Don't play games with me. What happened to Hagrid?"

"Professor Hagrid was found to be conducting subversive activities," Amycus said, his smile widening. "He was apprehended last night, and will be held until more representatives from the Ministry can come to take him into their custody, where I assume he will be sent to Azkaban. The dementors have returned, did you hear? Ah, I see not." McGonagall longed to curse Amycus right then and there, but she restrained herself. Getting herself killed wouldn't do anyone any good.

She forced herself to turn away and leave the room. She went to find Flitwick; she would calm down and work out something with Flitwick. She caught him just down the hall from his office.

"Filius!" she called. She had practically been running and was breathing hard.

Flitwick stopped and turned. "Minerva? Is something wrong?"

"Hagrid… They've got Hagrid."

"Who? Who's got Hagrid?" Flitwick asked, furrowing his brow. "The Carrows? Did they finally come for him?"

"Yes," McGonagall said as she caught her breath. She briefly relayed what Amycus had told her.

"That's terrible!" Flitwick said. He started walking back and forth across the hall. McGonagall supposed one advantage of being short was that you could pace anywhere. "We can't let them take him to Azkaban. But what can we do? Would Snape intervene?" His face was hopeful, but his tone lacked conviction.

"We both know that will do no good," McGonagall said. "They've wanted him since the beginning of the year. His magical resistance and link to the giants make him too dangerous. Even if Snape tried to make a power play, all the Carrows would have to do it stall, or appeal to You-Know-Who himself."

"Well, I'm not letting them take Hagrid!" Flitwick said, setting his foot down firmly.

"I'm not planning on it either. Come, we need to find Pomona and Slughorn."

.

They caught Sprout heading to her greenhouses.

"Minerva, Filius," she greeted, before seeing the look on their faces. "What's wrong?"

"Amycus Carrow has Hagrid," McGonagall replied.

Sprout nearly dropped her watering can. "What?"

"They took him last night," Flitwick explained. "We think they have him somewhere in the castle." They had worked out that much on the walk over; Amycus wouldn't have been able to take Hagrid anywhere else. "He's waiting for someone from the Ministry to come so he can hand Hagrid over personally."

"We… we have to do something!" Sprout said exclaimed, turning back to her Greenhouse. "We have to… but where is he? Do we even know?"

"We can find out," McGonagall said. She looked back to the castle. "We need to be at our classes soon."

"Nevermind our classes, we need to find Hagrid," Sprout said.

"No." Flitwick had resumed his pacing. "If we don't show up for class, they'll know what we're doing and we'll be locked up along with him."

An idea struck McGonagall. "I know what do to. We need to find Slughorn right away." She began walking back toward the castle.

"Right," Flitwick said skeptically. "And what's this plan of yours?"

McGonagall smiled a little in spite of herself. "Get to your classes, and do not ask about any students who might miss your class."

.

McGonagall made it to her first class moments before the first of her students, which happened to be Ginny, Neville, and Seamus.

"Professor, last night…" Ginny started.

"One moment, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said, watching Professor Vector walk past the front door. As soon as Vector was out of sight, she flicked her wand and the door shut. Ginny opened her mouth again but McGonagall spoke first. "I know," she said. "Are you prepared to help find him?"

"Yes," Ginny said, while the others nodded.

"Good. Slughorn will not expect you in Potions, and Professors Flitwick and Sprout will understand if any of their students are missing. No one will notice if you miss lunch. We can't give you any more time. Don't do anything foolish. Hide or run if you're seen, especially if you do find out where he is."

"We'll find him, Professor," Ginny said. McGonagall nodded and flicked her wand again. The students went outside, conferred briefly, and split up. McGonagall walked to the door and watched them go off down the hallways.

_Most of them aren't children any longer"_ she told herself. And true enough, both Neville and Seamus were considered adults. Yet too often she looked at them and saw the scared eleven year olds, standing just out side the Great Hall, and it was hard to realize how much they had grown since then. _They'll be fine, so long as they're not caught. And even if they are, they've each proven over and over they can handle what the Carrows can give. It's the best chance we have to find Hagrid._

The rest of her students had trickled in while she was thinking. She went to the front of the room and began to teach them how to turn a blanket into a net.

.

At lunch, McGonagall heard that two Ravenclaw students, Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot, had been caught cutting class by Filch. They claimed they were going to play a game of Exploding Snap and no further questions had been asked. Thought she was thankful that none of the other had been discovered, she felt a horrible guilty twinge when she heard they'd been given detention.

Her afternoon classes went by without incident. Dinner was a tense affair. She told Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn that she needed to speak to them all after dinner. After that, she nibbled at her food while looking over the students for any clue to the search's success. She saw no indication either way. She began to formulate alternative plans as she ate, each one less likely to succeed than the last.

After dinner she waited just outside the doors to the Great Hall. Ginny and Neville walked by her without saying anything, but Seamus and Ernie MacMillan came over to her.

"We think he's on the fifth floor," Seamus said. "We found a locked door and heard groaning on the other side. It was… it was between…"

"It was between the bust of Globulus Gibble and the portrait of the giant Bronga," Ernie finished, holding his chin up.

"Thank you," McGonagall said, feeling energized. She strode back to her chambers where she found Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn waiting for her.

"Minerva, what's all this about Hagrid?" Slughorn asked as soon as the door closed. "They're saying he's been captured by the Carrows…"

"It's true," McGonagall answered. "They captured him last night."

"But what on earth for? Did he do something?"

"'Subjective activity,'" McGonagall explained. "He threw a party for Harry last night." McGonagall paused. "I think he knew they would come for him eventually. He wanted to do something good before he left."

"Damn fool thing to do," Slughorn said. "If they were coming, he should have just left. Not that he deserved it!" he added, when the others turned to look at him. He wiped some sweat from his brow. "But… we've all seen what they're like."

McGonagall turned from him and spoke to Sprout and Flitwick. "I'm going to break him out. We don't have time before he's gone."

"What do we need to do? Do you have a plan?" Flitwick asked.

"I have some ideas. And I know where he is. But first," she looked back at Slughorn, "I need to know where you stand, Horace. Will you help?"

Slughorn swallowed. "I already let those students miss my class… if the Carrows found out…" He took a deep breath and spoke mostly to their knees. "What do you need me to do?"

"Make a potion that will eat through a lock," she said.

"Yes, right then," Slughorn said. "I need to get started." He left quickly, looking eager to get out of the room.

"And what about us?" Sprout asked.

"We will be the ones to free him," McGonagall said. "We will use Slughorn's potion to destroy the lock and then get Hagrid outside. Hopefully he'll be able to handle it from there."

"Where is he?" Flitwick asked.

"The fifth floor. Near the Carrows chambers."

"Of course," Flitwick said. He began pacing. "We ought to have a distraction then. Pomona, do you have something that might…"

"Yes, I know just the thing."

"Good," McGonagall said. "I'll get the potion from Slughorn. Meet me back here in an hour."

.

After half an hour, McGonagall walked to Slughorn's office. She met him just as he was coming out.

"Oh! I was just coming to see you," Slughorn said quickly. He handed her a small corked flask. "It's the best I could make in so short a time. It should dissolve most types of metal and dissipate most locking spells." McGonagall took the potion and stashed it in her robes. "Be careful not to get any on your skin. It would be… you don't want that to happen."

"I understand," McGonagall said with a nod. "Thank you."

"I… I don't want anything to happen to Hagrid either."

"And now where are you off to?"

"I need to attend to a few House matters," Slughorn said. "Speak to a few students, make some announcements."

"Of course." More likely he wanted to make sure he was seen when Hagrid escaped, but she made no comment.

"Good luck," Slughorn said as he walked away.

"Thank you."

McGonagall was on her way back to her chambers when Ginny, Neville, Seamus, and Luna appeared in front of her. Their appearance startled her; she nearly jumped back before she realized it was them.

"Good evening, students," she greeted, heart still racing slightly. She nearly asked how they managed to sneak out and appear in front of her like that, but then she saw the telltale shimmering of an invisibility cloak behind Luna's back. "I think I know why you're here."

"You have to let us help, Professor," Neville said simply.

"The things they would do to a half-giant like him…" Luna said, her voice trailing off. McGonagall knew the Lovegood girl only a little, but still found it unnerving to hear her sound afraid.

"No," McGonagall said. "You've done enough already."

She meant to say more, but Ginny interrupted. "Exactly. We're already involved, you can't shut us out now."

"You'll need us," Seamus said. "Just three of you, you could use some backup, yeah?"

"No," McGonagall said. "I only involved you because I had to. The other Professors and I would get into far more trouble than you if we left our classes and we wouldn't have been able to come here tonight. That was the only reason I involved you at all." The only reason? No, not truly, but she couldn't tell them that right now. "If we're caught, they will punish us all the same. I can't let you come this time."

"Professor-" Ginny began.

"Absolutely not," McGonagall said sternly. "That is my final word. Get back to your dormitories." She saw hot defiance flash in Ginny's eyes, but it passed before Ginny said anything. Reluctantly, they got back under their invisibility cloaks. She heard their soft footsteps shuffling off.

"I'm glad you want to help, and there will be a time you can," McGonagall called after them, but she wasn't sure if they heard.

.

McGonagall met Flitwick and Sprout back at her chambers. Sprout carried several large seed pods about the size of a Quaffle.

"Are we ready?" McGonagall asked. Both of them nodded. "Pomona, explain to me what those are as we walk."

"They're Gloober seeds," Sprout said. "If crushed they release a potent smell and sticky gel. Hopefully the smell will draw them out and the gel should delay them."

"Won't you have to crush them fairly nearby?"

"The smell will travel, but no more than two corridors away I would guess."

McGonagall held back a sigh. "It will have to do."

Sprout went off in the opposite direction the moment they reached the room they were keeping Hagrid. The padlock on the door was thick and McGonagall could sense it had some magical protections as well, but she had faith in Slughorn's potion. She and Flitwick hung back behind a suit of armor. Soon the Gloober smell drifted down the hallway. It was more horrible than McGonagall had thought it would be, like rotten eggs that had been sitting in stale milk. Flitwick was lucky- the smell seemed to rise.

Soon complaints about the smell emanated from the room. Alecto stuck her head out the door and nearly retched. "It's worse out here!" she yelled before slamming the door.

Their voices spilled from the door, arguing loudly. It seemed neither one wanted to venture into the hallway. Eventually, though, they both left.

"…if I could count on that squib to handle even the smallest tasks!" Amycus finished. Alecto muttered something that was probably an agreement before they disappeared around the corner.

The moment they were out of sight, McGonagall produced the flask and uncorked it. It began to fizzle as she poured it over the lock. The lock began to dissolve, and she felt something relax inside her; something was going right. She gingerly tipped the rest of the potion onto the lock as the Carrows' footsteps grew more distant.

And then the lock began to reform itself. The parts that had dissolved grew back until the lock was whole once more.

"What happened?" Sprout asked. She had taken a long way around and was rejoining them.

"The potion didn't work," McGonagall said, setting the flask down. "The magic is too strong. We need another plan." Her mind raced, but she couldn't think of anything that would be fast and quiet. They could try blasting down the door, but McGonagall could sense it had been magically reinforced. She didn't want to chance trying to break it down.

"The wall…" Flitwick said.

"Too loud," McGonagall said. "And it might hurt Hagrid."

"No, I mean Transfigure it. Make a hole."

"The walls are resistant…"

"But not impervious!" Flitwick said. "We have no other option. Transfigure the wall. I'll hop through, free Hagrid, and come back out."

"It will be hard," McGonagall said, looking at the wall. How thick were the interior walls? She couldn't recall.

"We don't have time!" Sprout said. "We have to do it now. I'll help you."

"Alright," McGonagall relented. "Ready?" Sprout and McGonagall pointed their wands at the wall. McGonagall felt as thought she were reached for the wall with invisible hands. Delicately but firmly the hands began to pull the wall apart. At first it came easy, but then the wall began to resist, fight back. McGonagall pushed harder, her spell bolstered with help from Sprout.

A hole formed in the wall and grew larger and they could see inside the room. Hagrid hung from the wall by chains. He looked up and mumbled something but McGonagall couldn't hear. His faced was dark and broken; there was blood on his shirt. Flitwick climbed through the hole the moment it was large enough for him to fit.

"Close it," McGonagall said through gritted teeth. She and Sprout lowered their wands and the hole instantly closed. Sprout was breathing hard from the effort.

For a few moments they waited in tense silence. They could hear the Carrows complaining about the mess. It sounded like they'd gotten stuck and were considering trying to summon Filch. They didn't have much time.

A tapping came from the door. "Bigger now," McGonagall said. "Hagrid has to get through.

"Right." They raised their wands again began to open the wall. McGonagall began to feel the strain from the spell and Sprout had turned red, but the hole grew.

Hagrid stood on unsteady feet free of his chains. The hole expanded and he was lead out by Flitwick, who was able to help as soon as he could see exactly what McGonagall and Sprout were doing. The close closed with a thump just as Hagrid stepped clear. Sprout looked winded, but McGonagall felt fine. More or less.

"What was that?" Amycus' voice came down from the hall. "It came from our chambers!"

"Could the freak have gotten out?"

"Go and see. I'm nearly done."

"Come on," Flitwick whispered urgently.

"I'm comin'…" Hagrid mumbled. Flitwick did not seem to have exerted much energy breaking Hagrid's chains. Sprout, on the other hand, was breathing hard by the time they reached the stairs.

"He's gone!" Alecto's voice called from behind them. Amycus' voice answered indistinctly.

"Faster!" Flitwick said.

"Pomona, you're too tired," McGonagall said. She had already fallen behind even Hagrid and looked ready to pass out.

"No I'm-"

"You're not. You're going to pass out and get us caught."

"…Carry her. No problem," Hagrid said.

"No, you're hurt. Pomona, go to my office and wait. We'll come back there." Sprout looked somewhat hurt, but realized McGonagall was right. She broke off for McGonagall's office which was near the stairwell.

"Go down that way!" Amycus' voice called from the distance. "You! Squib, go upstairs!"

"We have to get outside before they close off the castle," McGonagall said. They reached the ground floor and both Flitwick and McGonagall were pulling Hagrid along. He seemed to not so much run as fall and continuously catch himself with his feet.

"Oooh, Hagger's not looking so good," Peeves had zoomed in from a side corridor. He floated along beside them as they ran.

"Peeves, not now," McGonagall said. She thought she heard Alecto saying something from nearby. Too close.

"What's wrong?" Peeves said. "Don't want to talk to your old friend Peevesy?"

"Do you want me to tell Amycus who filled his bed with honey and cheese?" McGonagall said sharply.

"Well, you're no fun!" Peeves zoomed away singing. Behind them, Alecto seemed to be wondering if she ought to follow Peeves' voice or not.

"Hagrid," McGonagall said. "You're going to have to run once we get to the door. We won't be able to go with you."

"Right. Got it." He sounded a little more aware.

McGonagall flicked her wand and the front doors opened. Hagrid barreled out into the night. He looked unsteady at first, but soon settled into a regular gait.

"Minerva, we can't be here," Flitwick said.

"I want to make sure he gets out of sight."

"We can't stay. We've done what we can." Flitwick pulled on her hand. "We don't want to be chained up either."

"Right. You're right."

He led her towards his office as the shouts grew behind them.

"I've got a bit of Firewhiskey in my office."

"Yes," McGonagall said, though Flitwick hadn't offered. "That would be good."

McGonagall collapsed into chair. She hadn't realized how tired she was till they were standing outside Flitwick's office.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Flitwick asked as he poured the drinks.

"I think… he might."

"Might?"

"Follow me here…" McGonagall said, taking the drink. "Amycus is proud. Very proud. He would not want to admit to losing Hagrid."

"Yes?"

"It seems likely at he might blame it on the party that failed to capture him last night," McGonagall reasoned. "No one would know. Most of the party was unconscious, as I understand."

Flitwick sat up a little taller. "Yes, yes that makes sense." He slumped back down. "But do you really think…?"

"We'll have to hope," McGonagall said. "He doesn't stand much of a chance otherwise." She finished the last of her drink. "We should get back to Sprout."

"Yes. Right."

They took a roundabout way back to McGonagall's office. Voices drifted down from the Great Hall every now and then, but no one seemed to be searching the castle.

"You!" Amycus Carrow's voice came from behind him. "You! What are you doing, out and about?"

McGonagall had never seen Amycus so furious. His rage tended to be quiet, but she could see it in his eyes. "I do not believe we have to explain ourselves to you. We are all professors here."

"Any why so out of breath? Been running around?"

"Minerva and I occasionally brush up on our dueling at night," Flitwick said. "I used to compete in my younger days, but Minerva still gives me a run for my money."

Amycus had been fingering his wand, but now he put it back in his robes. "Dueling practice indeed. What did you practice?"

"Defense against projectile spells," Flitwick said quickly.

"And you didn't notice any of the commotion? Didn't think you'd try to help?" Amycus snorted.

"You're always going on about how incompetent and ineffective we are," McGonagall said. "We didn't want to get in the way."

Amycus fumed. "If I ever even have a shred of proof you were involved with this…"

"Involved with what?" Flitwick asked. Amycus stared them down for a moment, then snorted again and walked away.

"That was a near thing," Flitwick said. "We can't do anything like that again."

"Hopefully we won't have to," McGonagall said. "But that may be hoping for too much."

"Perhaps so," Flitwick said. "Let's have a bit of tea before we head off to bed."


	15. Chapter 15: Dementors on the Train

**Chapter Fifteen: Dementors on the Train**

November came and went easily. The DA maintained a constant stream of activity while gaining a few new members. The news of Hagrid's escape had been a huge morale boost. Ginny was incredibly amused that Amycus Carrow had blamed the whole incident on the Aurors, and made no mention of the fact that he'd actually had Hagrid chained up in the castle.

They didn't make any big moves, but kept the Carrows and the Slytherins on their toes. They had gotten very good at memory charms by this point, and thus were rarely caught, though Neville once botched the spell slightly and made Blaise Zabini forget where all this classes were. He felt slightly guilty at that, but otherwise things had gone smoothly. Seamus managed to steal Filch's drawer of confiscated items, and even the Slytherins had laughed when Alecto's head turned into a canary at dinner that evening.

The Carrows still found plenty of reasons to dole out detentions, but they were so erratic and paranoid about the DA that they caused more resentment among non-members than fear among members. Meanwhile, Ginny, Luna, and Neville began to grow in their leadership roles. Neville still took a back seat to Ginny, but once lead a group of second and third years away from the Slytherin patrols when they got separated at night. He even managed to hex Nott.

Luna somehow smuggled _The Quibbler_ into to the school on a regular basis. As her father's paper became increasingly militant in its accusations and calls to action, Luna followed suit at school. She had one of their better ideas, concocting a Waking Potion and slipping it into the Snape and the Carrows' drinks at dinner via some sneaking with an invisibility cloak. Snape seemed to realize what had happened after the first sip, and Neville thought the plan had busted. But then Amycus Carrow loudly made a thinly veiled insult, and Snape simply set his own goblet aside and watched as Amycus drank deep. Alecto fell asleep in most of her classes three days in a row before they even suspected something was wrong. Following this, Ginny and Neville continued doing their best to keep the Carrows up at night. Peeves, who could do a surprisingly good imitation of Ginny's voice, helped out once or twice. Seamus had been trying the same on Snape, to considerably less success.

They were able to use the food trick once more, just before the Christmas break. On the night before the train came, Ginny managed to slip some of Fred and George's candies into their food. Snape once again detected the anomaly at once, and again only smiled and watched the Carrows. Less than a minute later, Amycus Carrow's head turned into a giant canary. The Great Hall erupted in laughter, even Snape and the Slytherins. Alecto seemed to want to laugh as well, but when she opened her mouth, her tongue spilled out on to the table. This only caused further laughter. Professor Flitwick fell out of his seat, while Professor Slughorn excused himself with a very red face. Even Trelawney was suppressing a giggle.

"Wouldn't be surprised if they don't come back after the break!" Seamus said once they were back in the common room. "They haven't slept in over a week, and now they're too scared to eat or drink anything they don't make themselves!"

"Wish we could say the same about Snape," Ginny said wistfully. "He's the real problem."

"I'll get him before the year's up," Seamus said. "I'll make him rue the day he dared come back here." Neville wasn't sure it was a great idea for Seamus to try and mess with Snape alone at night, but they hadn't been overly concerned about safety in a long time.

"Just mind that you don't get caught," Ginny said. "I don't want to know what Snape would do if he got his hands on you."

"They haven't caught me yet."

"They've caught all of us."

"You know what I mean." Ginny's only response was a smile.

Seamus went on for a while about his plans for Snape, but Neville wasn't really listening. He was thinking about going home, about seeing Gran again. He loved her, but she sometimes made him feel so bad about himself. He wasn't sure how she would take his involvement with the DA. Would she proud, as she had been after his fight in the Department of Mysteries? Or would she act more like she had most of the summer? Being in the DA had made him feel good, despite the bad parts. He didn't want to go back to Gran and all her rules.

"I think I'm going to bed," Neville said when Seamus stopped talking.

"I like the way you think," Ginny said. She stretched out on the couch and stood up. "We still need to pack before breakfast tomorrow."

"Right," Neville said from the bottom of the stairway.

Once he was in bed, he thought back on the first half of the year. He thought about the Carrows, Snape, Draco, the Desensulator. He wondered what Harry was doing. They'd been listening to Potterwatch all year, but the only thing they'd learned for sure was that he'd been in London around the start of the school year. He wondered how Gran was doing. Eventually his thoughts drifted and muddled, and he fell asleep.

.

The next morning was a frenzied panic. He'd done most of his packing the day before, but he couldn't seem to find his Transfiguration book, and of course McGonagall had given them three chapters to read over the holiday. Seamus had been up late talking to Demelza and could barely form words, let alone make everything fit in his trunk.

"Nev, wait!" Seamus called. "Almost done, wait for me?"

"Sure," Neville said. He hauled his trunk outside and waited till Seamus was ready.

"Bloody hell… woman's going to be the death of me," Seamus said. Neville only smiled back. They met Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, and Demelza in the common room.

"Morning," Neville greeted.

"Hey," Lavender returned. "Been a crazy first half, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Neville said. "I almost don't want to go back."

"Really?" Lavender gave him a strange look.

Neville wasn't sure what to say, but Parvati spoke first. "Neville, do we have to help the first-years find the carriages?"

"Oh, yes," Neville said. "Should be loads of fun."

"We'll save a place for you on the train," Ginny said. Neville nodded in response. "Alright, let's head for breakfast."

Seamus and Demelza fell back, talking quietly to each other, leaving Neville to listen to Lavender and Parvati talk about boys he didn't know. Ginny was also interjecting every now and then, but she couldn't hope to keep up with the two of them.

The Great Hall was happier than it had been in some time. The Carrows had been so sleepy in the past few weeks that they hadn't been able to dole out too many detentions. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were vying for all time lowest House points, but no one really seemed to mind.

The food was excellent. Neville helped himself to bacon, pancakes, a bit of sausage and some eggs. He'd done a good job watching his diet this year, but he wanted one big meal before going back to Gran's home cooked meals. He was going for one more sausage when Malfoy's voice spoke from behind him.

"Hoarding for the winter, Longbottom?" he said. "Getting ready to hibernate?" A small crowd of Slytherins laughed behind him.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Seamus said.

"The half-blood speaks," Malfoy said. "It learned a new trick!" Yet more laughter. "Come on. Let's give them time to house train him. Wouldn't want any accidents on the trip home."

"He's in a good mood," Seamus said, unperturbed by Malfoy's comments. "Hey Nev, you're not letting him get to you, are you?"

"I'm fine," Neville said, putting his fork down. "Just full. I had a lot."

After breakfast, McGonagall pulled Neville and Parvati aside. She reminded them to make sure all the first-years made it to the carriages and got on the train. "I would like to add," she said before they walked away, "that I am very proud of both you. You were both given great responsibility unexpectedly, and you both rose to the occasion."

"Thank you, Professor," Neville said while Parvati grinned widely.

They both started back to their tower. Neville saw Ginny walking with Ernie and went to join them, realizing too late that Hannah was also there. It would have been too awkward to walk away, so he walked next to Ginny and looked only at Ernie.

"Yes, I'll be staying here for the break. My parents still think Hogwarts is safe," Ernie said. "I suppose there are only three Death Eaters here. Who knows how many there are out there?"

"Makes sense," Ginny said with a nod.

"So why do you ask?" Ernie questioned, tilting his head.

"Well me, Luna, Neville and Seamus are all going home for the break," Ginny said. "But we don't want to let things go while we're away. A lot of the DA is staying here and we want to keep them active, so we need someone to take charge, and…"

"Ginny, I'd been honored!" Ernie interrupted, eyes bright. "Honored and delighted!" He took her hand and shook it vigorously. Ginny smiled widely as she took it and Hannah laughed.

"Alright, alright," Ginny said, liberating her hand. "Listen, I need to tell you what to do."

"Of course," Ernie said, shaking his head and calming himself.

"We want to keep it small. Nothing major. Mostly just keeping up lessons, but… let them know we're still here. Don't let them forget, but be careful. There's only a handful of students staying here, so it would be much easier for them to root us out if they want."

"Right," Ernie agreed. " I will exercise the utmost caution." Ernie shook her hand again, and then Neville's for good measure, before parting ways. As Neville turned he, met Hannah's eyes for a moment. He turned red and quickly followed Ginny toward the Gryffindor common room.

"Things still awkward with Hannah?" Ginny asked, eyebrow raised.

"I guess." Neville shrugged

"When was the last time you talked to her?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe at one of the first few DA meetings?"

"What? But you've both been to every one!" Ginny sighed.

"I'm too embarrassed."

"Yeah, but you can't be like that around her," Ginny said. "How will she notice you if you avoid her?"

"I don't know," Neville muttered.

"You've just got to be yourself around her. Remember how I was around Harry at first?"

"Yeah." Neville smiled a little at the memory. The first time he met Ginny she was darting out of the common room shortly after Harry and Ron had come down from the dorm in his second year. She'd nearly knocked him over. "Yeah, it makes sense." And it did, but saying it was always easier than doing it.

"That's the spirit." Ginny clapped him on the back. "You'll win her over in no time." Neville really doubted it, but said nothing.

Neville met up with Parvati as soon as they reached the common room.

"We got a good bunch this year," Parvati said. "Almost all of them are packed up."

"That's good. How many are left?"

"Just one… and here he comes." She pointed to a small brown haired boy heading down the stairs. "Alright then, follow us!"

Neville was glad Parvati was taking care of the first years; his mind was full. He followed behind and made sure none of them wandered off while he wondered how his meeting with Gran would go. He had no idea if news of their exploits had reached the outside world. Potterwatch occasionally made some mention of them, but Gran had other sources. She'd told him to keep his head down, but he hadn't done that. Not even a little.

Well, he'd worried about all that enough. He'd find out what would happen in a few hours. No sense stewing on it till then and spoiling his last few hours with his friends.

After herding the first years into their carriages he found one with Seamus and Ginny. The three of them made small talk until Luna joined them.

"Jolly Christmas, all!" she greeted. "I have presents!" She opened her bag and pulled out copies of the latest edition of the Quibbler. Neville thumbed through it but most of the articles had been covered on Potterwatch a few nights ago. There was an article by Elphia Doge countering some of the (regrettably less serious) accusation made against Dumbledore in Rita Skeeter's book. Neville read a few paragraphs before closing it.

"I'm going to miss you over the break," Luna said as Neville close the paper. "All of you. You too, Seamus."

"Erhm, thanks," Seamus said.

"We'll miss you too, Luna," Ginny said. "But don't worry, it won't be for long."

"Oh I know. Just three weeks," Luna said. She looked out the window. It was sunny out, but quite cold. "Time just always seems to drag when I'm at home." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Though actually, I have been meaning to look into that…"

The carriage pulled to a stop. "Here we are," Seamus announced.

"Oh dear," Luna said, looking around. "I seem to have placed my luggage in another carriage. I'll find you on the train." Luna hopped out of the carriage and began inspecting the other students' luggage.

"Strange girl, that one," Seamus mused. "She's grown on me though."

"Never really felt that way," Neville said. "We always just… got along." Seamus shrugged and started hauling his trunk off to the train. Ginny rolled her eyes behind Seamus's back before following him.

They found a compartment near the front. Neville stowed his trunk above his seat and set off to perform his prefect duties, which mostly consisted of helping the younger students stow their luggage at this point; most of them were too scared to act up.

"Say, Longbottom," Malfoy's voice called to him. Neville turned to look at him. He and Pansy Parkinson were leaning out of a compartment. "Come here a moment."

"What do you want Malfoy?" Neville called back without moving.

"I need you to stow Pansy's trunk," Draco smirked.

"You do it." Neville turned to go.

"It's not my job, _Prefect_," Draco said back. "Don't think that it's too late for one last detention. They'll just keep you all break."

Neville hesitated. He didn't want to give in to Malfoy, he hated that. But he was so tired, and he would be home in a few hours… better to just deal with it and get it over with now.

"Which one's hers?" Neville asked as he walked in the compartment, though as soon as he said it, it was obvious. One huge trunk sat in the middle of the floor, nearly bursting open.

"Not too quick, is he?" Blaise Zabini observed.

"Hard to find good help these days," Nott sighed. Draco and Pansy laughed, Pansy snorting a little as she did.

"Now be careful," Draco said mockingly. "It's heavy, and I would hate for you to…"

Draco trailed off as Neville hoisted the trunk up and slammed it into the overhead compartment. It was heavy, but he was angry enough that he had almost no trouble picking it up. The Slytherins were all speechless; Pansy looked horrified.

"He…I had…" Pansy was having trouble finding words. She looked to Draco. "You said you enchanted it to be twice as…All my…" she regained herself and looked daggers at Neville. "If you broke anything…"

"You should pack lighter," Neville said calmly. He suppressed a laugh at the look on her face and left. He thought Draco or one of the others might follow, but they were all still in shock.

He slumped down in his seat by the window with Ginny, Luna, and Seamus.

"Everything alright?" Seamus asked.

"I think so. Yes." Neville said with a smile.

"All done with your important Prefect duties?" Ginny asked. "I thought you were also supposed to patrol the corridors?"

"I really don't care," Neville said. "Besides, do you really think anyone's going to misbehave?"

"Fair point," Ginny agreed.

Someone knocked on their compartment door. Luna opened the door and Michael Corner stuck his head in. "Hey, Ginny," Michael greeted enthusiastically.

"We're all full," Ginny said quickly.

"Oh, no, that's fine," Michael said, only slightly disappointed. "I was just wondering if there was anything we should be doing over the break."

"Oh." Ginny was a little flustered. "I guess… mainly just try to keep up with everything. Listen to Potterwatch. If there's anything we really need to tell you, we'll let you know with the coin."

"Alright then," Michael said. "I guess I'll see you next year." He closed the door with a nod to Neville and Seamus.

"He's the last person I'd expect that from," Seamus said. "Didn't think he was really into it."

"I think it's very important to him," Luna said. "He talks about it almost as much as he talks about Ginny." Ginny buried her face in her hands with a groan. "Oh, it's nothing bad, Ginny," Luna reassured.

"I know," Ginny said, lifting her head up slightly.

"Why don't you just hex him and get him out of our hair?" Seamus asked.

"I'm afraid he'd just like it," Ginny grimaced.

Following that, Luna began to go through the latest edition of the _Quibbler_. She knew more than most of them about their families because her father had included several overt and covert messages in the magazine. Though sometimes Neville thought Luna might be stretching with some of her examples, some of the "editor's letters" were certainly written to her.

An hour into the trip the train slowed and came to a stop in a field. "We're having a… there's a technical problem," a voice boomed down the train. "We will start back up in… soon."

"I didn't know magical trains could break down," Seamus said, looking out the window.

"Anything can break," Luna said, "if you try hard enough."

The room abruptly grew cold. Neville shivered a bit and pulled his robes a little tighter. "Even the heating can break."

"The heating can't break," Luna said. "It's a spell, not part of the train."

Ginny's eyes grew wide and she looked down the corridor.

"What is it?" Neville asked, though as soon as he asked he knew.

"Someone either countered the spell, which they would have no reason to do," Ginny said, pulling out her wand, "or there's something else making it cold." She slid open and the compartment door and even colder air from the corridor blew in. "We've got to go," she said. "Now."

"They're… here for us?" Seamus asked. He had gone white but still pulled out his wand.

"Come off it," Ginny snapped. "Why else would they be here?"

"Where are they?" Neville asked.

"They're on the train," Ginny said, "so we need to be off it."

"Works for me," Seamus said. Ginny stepped out of the compartment and looked both ways. A number of other kids had stuck their heads out the door. "To the front." Seamus followed Ginny out the door. Neville let Luna go first and brought up the rear.

The corridor was colder than the cabin but Neville hardly noticed. He looked back down the corridor and saw two hooded figures moving slowly down the strain, stopping for a moment by each compartment.

"There!" The voice sent chills down Neville's spine. "Up there! In the corridor, go! Between the shoulders of the Dementors Neville saw the face of Bellatrix Lestrange.

He turned and ran. Students stuck their heads out the doors to see what was going on and pulled them back in when Ginny or the Dementors came near. Neville crashed into a short redheaded girl but kept his balance and kept running.

Seamus and Ginny had pulled ahead of him and Luna, but Neville still heard when Seamus shouted back "We're getting off!" Neville saw Ginny and Seamus jump out the door, but a group of students crowded around the door, watching them and shouting. Luna couldn't get through and no one heard Neville yelling for them to get out of the way.

"Come on," Luna said. "We'll just get off at the next one." She sounded perfectly calm but there was fear in her eyes.

They managed to edge around the crowd and ran for the next train car. The air was growing colder and Neville found his thoughts becoming morbid and depressing. He tried to use some of the Occlumency McGonagall taught them to block the thoughts but he couldn't concentrate. Luna tried to open the door to the next car but it was locked.

"The Prefect's cabin," Neville said. "I'll open it and-"

"They're here!" Luna's voice was high, near a scream.

Neville turned and saw two Dementors standing in the doorway. Their silhouettes darkened the end of the corridor and the cold felt like it was penetrating into his bones. Bellatrix pushed her way past the Dementors.

"Well, we're not here for you." Bellatrix was speaking to Neville but her eyes were on Luna. "Step aside and let us take the girl."

"N-never!" Neville shouted. "Luna, a Patronus!" Both of them raised their wands. Neville tried to summon a happy memory. He tried to think of how if felt to win the House Cup, when Ginny agreed to go to the Yule Ball with him, when McGonagall said he was a good student, when Dumbledore's portrait said he was proud of him. None of it stuck. The good thoughts muddled with the bad, and he remembered the werewolf leaping on him, breathing in his face, the prophecy breaking in front of him, the time he thought the Heir of Slytherin was following him five years ago. Seeing Snape sitting in Dumbledore's chair, hearing that Snape was in charge, seeing Dumbledore's broken body on the ground and knowing Snape did it, and finally seeing Bellatrix come in through his window.

The Dementors came in closer. Neville raised his wand. "_Expecto Patronum_!" Neville shouted with Luna echoing him. Rather than the shimmering silver figures they usually got, instead they only produced a shower of silver sparks. The Dementors balked for a moment but the small shields faded.

"Just let them take me, Neville," Luna said softly, falling to her knees. He'd never heard her sound so hopeless.

"No!" Neville cried, putting himself between Luna and the Dementors. One of them pushed him aside only light, but Neville found he couldn't resist. The Dementor's touch froze his inside and he was forced back against the wall. It barely brushed him but Neville couldn't move.

Luna struggled for a moment when they grabbed her, one taking each arm. She had gone limp by the time they pulled her away. Neville tried to stand up, at least shout, but he couldn't do that either. He couldn't even turn his thoughts away from Bellatrix and Snape. His middle felt numb from where the Dementor touched it. He watched in horror as Luna's limp form was dragged out the door and out of his sight.

Bellatrix watched as the Dementors took her. "You can thank you father for this," Bellatrix said as she passed. Someone said something to her that Neville couldn't understand. "Just a moment," she replied. "I want to deal with the little rat that tried to help her."

Neville tried to stand up, reach for his wand, but he couldn't move. Bellatrix walked over and stood over him. She looked down on Neville and pointed her wand at his forehead.

"This is what you get for causing trouble for Dark Lord." Bellatrix lowered the wand and leaned closer. "Excuse me, the Ministry." She smiled, but then the smile faded. "Oh. I know you. The Longbottom boy. I'd have never thought." She bent down and looked Neville right in the face. "I heard about you. Been playing the rebel, have we? Following in Mommy and Daddy dearest's footsteps. Oh, they'd be so proud, if they could be anything." Bellatrix grabbed his face roughly. "You're not half the wizard they were. And if you were, you'd know even that wouldn't be good enough." She released him and stood up. "I'm not going to kill you. There are things much worse than that." Neville thought of his parents, tortured for hours while he huddled in the corner. His eyes went wide and Bellatrix cackled. "No, no that either. We don't have time to do it properly. I'll let you stew on how weak and pathetic you are. Yes, I think that would just be delicious." With a laugh that made him shiver she waked down the corridor and left the train.

Ginny and Seamus found him some time later in that same spot. He hadn't moved and didn't look up when they entered.

"Neville," Seamus dropped to his side. "Are you alright?" Neville made no response.

"What happened?" Ginny asked. "Where's Luna?"

"They took her," Neville said flatly, looking up a little. "I couldn't stop them. I couldn't do a damn thing."

"The Dementors?" Both Ginny and Seamus blanched.

"And Bellatrix. Luna was the one they wanted. Because of her dad." Neville dropped his head again.

"Did they… did they give her the kiss?" Ginny asked with a tense voice.

"No," Neville said. "They just took her…" Neville swallowed. "We can't do anything…"

"Don't talk like that," Ginny said, but her heart wasn't in it.

"It's true!" Neville shouted. "We mucked up the only important thing we tried to do. We couldn't even protect Luna when she really needed it!"

"We weren't prepared," Seamus said. "We didn't know. Next time we'll…"

"Next time won't help Luna," Neville interrupted. He got to his feet and pulled out his key to the prefect cabin. "Forget it. I'll see you later." He opened the door and stepped through.

"Neville…" Ginny's voice was shaking. He closed the door on her without looking back.


	16. Chapter 16: Back at Hogwarts

Chapter Sixteen: Back at Hogwarts

Neville stepped off the Hogwarts Express and let out his breath. He'd been a wreck on the train ride and had spent most of it cooped up in the Prefect's cabin. He had been worried Malfoy might see him, but Draco had been in one of the Slytherins cabins and they didn't see each other for the whole ride.

It was the only time he could recall when he hadn't looked forward to going to Hogwarts at all. Even in the fall he knew at least some of his friends would be there, and that was always something to look forward too. He didn't want to see Seamus or Ginny; the way they'd looked at him on the way back, he could tell they pitied him. And though they might not be aware of it, some small part of them resented him. They probably thought that if they'd been there with Luna they'd have been able to save her. They were probably right and Neville didn't want to face that. Not on the train, anyway, not right where it had happened.

The break hadn't really helped. Seeing Gran was nice. He'd remembered what Dumbledore said and tried not to take her disapproval too harshly; he realized it was one of her ways of showing she cared about him, always wanting him to be better. But that was the only good thing. The _Quibbler_ had immediately shifted its tone following Luna's kidnapping, parroting everything said in the _Prophet_. Neville told his Gran about Potterwatch and they listened together a few times, but most of the news was bad. Nothing from Harry, a few Order members had been captured, more signs that Voldemort would be ready to move openly. Lee tried to keep people's spirits up, but his own was starting to flicker.

And now he was back at Hogwarts, with Snape, the Carrows, and Malfoy. He was sure they were all going to be even worse than before.

"You're mighty quiet, Longbottom." Malfoy's voice broke his concentration. Neville looked over to him, surrounded by his usual crew. "Guess you learned the value of silence after what happened to Looney Lovegood, eh?"

Neville's blood grew hot, but then he thought of the Dementors, of the look on Luna's face, and he lost his fire. He looked at the ground as Malfoy and his crew laughed as they walked off.

Someone laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. You alright?"

"Sure," Neville said, turning to see Seamus. Seeing Seamus did actually make him feel better, in spite of his earlier worries. Whatever feelings Seamus might have had, he seemed to have let them go over the break. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where's Ginny?"

"Just up there, grabbing a carriage for us. See?"

Neville followed Seamus's finger. "Right."

"Let's go then."

They met Ginny at the carriage and hauled their trunks into it. The ride back was somewhat uneasy, as Ginny didn't talk much with Neville. They mostly talked on how their breaks had been, which was generally lonely. Almost all of Ginny's brothers were gone, except for Charlie; he had come home for the break. For Seamus, it was just him and his mom.

After they got out of the carriage, they were quickly approached by Michael Corner. Ginny gave them a look and slipped away to fall in with Parvati and Lavender. Michael watched her leave but didn't follow.

"Have you seen this?" Michael asked, thrusting a copy of _The_ _Quibbler_ at them. "It's all bollocks! Have you seen what they're saying about Thicknesse? About the Ministry? It's the same as the bloody _Prophet_!"

"It's Luna," Neville said flatly.

"I know," Michael said. "I figured that's why they took her. I was just hoping that maybe…" He shook his head. "I don't know." He fell in beside them, waving Terry and Anthony ahead. "The Dementors… did they…"

"No," Neville said. "Not on the train, anyway."

"That's good," Michael said. "No, it makes sense. They need to keep her… whole. So she can be used against her dad." He was talking very quickly. "They wouldn't be able to use her if she wasn't… whole. So they'll keep her that way, so they can always threaten her and hurt her."

Neville could see he was trying to cheer himself up, but it looked like he'd only made himself depressed. Neville sometimes forgot that he and Luna were in the same House, the same year. They might not have many classes together, but they probably saw each other a lot. If nothing else, it hit close to home.

"They'll start coming for others soon," Michael said glumly. "Anyone's parents who start causing problems, they'll come for the kids."

"Then it'll be our job to make sure that doesn't happen again," Neville said. He felt better after saying it; now he had something to really work for, something important. It helped some, anyway.

"That is what we do, right? Fight the dark forces?" Seamus added. "It'll be no sweat. They'll send a Death Eater or two, and WHAM, they won't even know what hit 'em."

Michael and Neville laughed a little as they reached the Great Hall. "Make sure you tell Ginny, alright?" Michael said as they parted for their respective tables. They found seats near Ginny in the middle of the table.

"Michael says they're going to come for more of us," Seamus said.

"I figured," Ginny said. "I read _The_ _Quibbler_. When something works people keep doing it." She took a small bite of her food. "Good for Michael," she said absently. "I guess he's not a complete fool."

"He is in Ravenclaw," Neville pointed out.

Ginny looked at him but turned back to Seamus before speaking. "We'll have to organize nightly patrols, or at least a lookout. We can't just let them take us."

"We can't be staying out all night," Seamus said. "We'll get detentions for even looking sleepy in Alecto's class."

"Detention is better than getting taken," Ginny said.

"Is there a potion we could take?" Neville asked. Ginny only looked at him again, but Seamus spoke up.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I bet there's a potion we could take to help us stay up," Neville said. "So we won't get detention. It's too important not to do."

Ginny met his eyes. "I'll look into it." The tension melted away after that, to Neville's relief. He didn't like fighting with his friends.

Ernie and Hannah approached them in the Great Hall as they left.

"Ginny, Neville, Seamus, it is good to see you back," Ernie greeted. "I thought I might report what happened here during the break."

"Yeah, definitely," Ginny said, looking around. "Not here. Walk with us." She looked over the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy was finishing up his meal.

"Of course, of course," Ernie said. Ginny led the way out of the Great Hall and towards Gryffindor Tower and soon Ernie, her, and Seamus began talking in hushed tones. Neville was going to listen in but realized he was walking next to Hannah.

"Hello, Neville," she said with a smile.

"Hey, Hannah," Neville managed to return. "Did you have a good break?"

"As much as I could," she said with a small shrug. "It was good to see my dad again. I really missed him."

"How's he doing?"

"Much better," Hannah said. "Still not like he used to be." Neville wasn't sure what to say, so he just nodded. "I heard a lot of rumors about what happened on the train. I know they took Luna, but…" She looked over at him. "If you don't want to talk about it I understand."

"No, it's fine," Neville said, not really sure if he meant it. "We thought the Dementors were after all of us, but all they wanted was Luna. Seamus and Ginny got off the train and tried to run, but me and Luna got stuck." Neville cleared his throat. "They cornered us and… and they took her."

"I'm so sorry," Hannah said, concerned etched on her brow.

"Thanks," Neville said. "It wasn't anything like practice. We couldn't form our Patronuses with the Dementors right there in front of it. It's so much harder, but that's when we need them. We'll have to work on that."

"I agree," Hannah said. "I always had trouble with those. And against an actual Dementor…" She shuddered. "It was bad enough the last time they were here, and they were protecting us then."

"We'll work on it. I'll do it myself if no one else can."

"You should," Hannah agreed. "I mean, you did really well teaching the memory charms."

"Thanks." Neville's face grew warm. "I enjoyed that."

"You did? Maybe you should be a teacher then." Hannah looked at him with a small smile. "So, were you and Luna… together? I mean, I saw you two together a lot and I was wondering…"

"Me and Luna?" Neville blinked. "Oh, no. It wasn't… like that." He shrugged. "We always just got along is all." It would not occur to him till much later to wonder why she had asked. "Let's catch up. I want to hear what happened here over the break."

"Oh, right. I got to hear all about it at lunch." Together they joined the others as Ernie wrapped up his report.

"I had nearly gotten away when Nott used some spell to trip me. I fell flat on my face, which is how I got this." He pointed to the gash on this cheek. "I got a detention for it. I believe that is all that happened of any note."

"Ern, you did great." Seamus gave Ernie a clap on the back.

"Please don't call me that."

"You did a good job," Ginny agreed.

"Thank you. Both of you." Ernie bowed slightly. "I was terribly worried I was making a mess of everything. I hope you do not all go away again."

"Well, we're not planning on it," Ginny said. "Can you talk to the Hufflepuffs, see when they can come to a DA meeting? I want to have one soon."

"I will let you know tomorrow at breakfast." The group stopped at an intersection. "I believe this is where we part ways. Goodnight." Ernie shook hands with everyone before setting off down the corridor.

"Goodnight," Hannah said with a wave. "Goodnight, Neville."

"Goodnight," Neville retuned. "I'll see you in Herbology."

Hannah smiled. "Yeah. Goodnight."

Neither Ginny nor Seamus mentioned anything about Hannah on the way back to the Tower, but they each gave him interesting looks as they walked.

The common room was full and noisy. Everyone wanted to know what had happened with everyone else over the break. One of the younger students was telling a group what things had been like at Hogwarts over the break. Neville noted with amusement that this version differed greatly from what Ernie had told them. Others talked about what the DA was planning for over the rest of the year, what they'd heard about Harry's ghost appearing over his parents' graves in Godric's Hollow over the break shortly before a local woman was found dead, or sometimes just what they'd gotten for Christmas.

Demelza greeted Seamus with a hug, which he returned somewhat awkwardly. Ginny broke off to talk with Lavender and Parvati. Neville tried to follow their conversation, but it was mostly about boys, and he quickly lost interest. He wanted to try and join one of the other groups and talk about Harry or the DA, but he suddenly found the Tower to be too loud and stifling. He needed to get out.

"I'm going for a walk," he told Seamus.

"A walk? It's nearly nine." Seamus pointed to the clock. "You don't have much time before curfew."

"They'll give you detention," Demelza added. "You don't want to start the year off that way, do you?"

"I'll be careful," Neville promised. "And I won't be too long."

"Alright, mate. I'll come looking if you're not back in an hour."

"Thanks." Neville left the portrait hole and began walking the halls. He walked over to the Room of Requirement. It would be good to get back in there, but he decided he didn't want to do it tonight. He didn't turn around so as to open the Room, he just kept on walking, descending toward the dungeons. He kept his ears sharp and walked softly, but neither saw nor heard anyone.

His mind kept going back to the train. He should have been able to do something. He should have been able to protect Luna. They both should have been able to protect themselves. They'd practiced the spells all right, but it was much easier to perform them on other students, or in a brightly lit room surrounded by your friends, compared to in the actual heat of battle. But even so, if he'd tried a little harder, maybe he could have driven the Dementors away. He and Luna could have hopped off the train, met with Seamus and Ginny, and… he never knew what would happen after that part, but he knew it would be better than what actually had happened.

"There's nothing I could have done," he said softly. "I tried as hard as I could. Of course I did. It was Luna." He sighed deeply. "It can't happen again." That was all there was to it. It was easy to say, of course, but much harder to do.

He walked for a few more minutes before he was really able to convince himself. He would talk to Ginny and Seamus when they got back and they would have a DA meeting as soon as possible. He would run it if he had to.

He was close to the Tower when he heard footsteps nearby. Voices soon joined and Neville realized they were coming toward him. Neville ducked into a small room behind a tapestry, and secret Fred Weasley had showed him once.

The footsteps and voices grew louder and closer. Neville peaked out from behind the tapestry and saw a small boy run down the corridor with three Slytherins chasing him, shouting and laughing.

Neville stepped out from behind the tapestry, drew his wand, and hit all three Slytherins with the body-bind curse in quick succession. Each one fell to the floor and rolled a little, barely able to even grunt before the spell set in fully. The student they had been chasing slowed and looked back. Neville couldn't see his face in the darkness, but he heard a gasp, followed by suppressed laughter. Neville smiled and waved him on.

He considered leaving the Slytherins there and going back to the common room; he felt much better now. He took a few steps, stopped, and went back to the immobilized students. Taking care to keep them looking away from him, Neville pulled the Slytherins into the secret room and leaned them against the wall. Once they were all situated Neville left the small room and walked back to the Tower. It was more than he usually did, but the way they were laughing and shouting as they chased that boy; they had plans for him, bad ones. Neville did not feel especially guilty leaving them there. If they weren't found by lunch he'd remove the charm during a break.

The Tower was starting to wind down when Neville got back. Most of the younger students had gone to bed, but Seamus, Ginny, and several of the older students were still sitting by the fire.

"Have a nice walk?" Seamus asked.

Neville took a seat next to him. "Actually, yes." He told the group, all DA members, what he had done to the Slytherins. Seamus laughed out loud while Ginny was somewhere between amused and eager.

"Won't it be a while before anyone finds them?" Lavender asked.

"I think that's the idea," Ginny said.

"I'll unhex them if no one finds them," Neville said. "By tomorrow."

For the first time since the train, Neville felt like things were actually getting better.

.

"I'm going to outdo you." Seamus closed the door to their dorm behind him.

"What?"

"I'm going to outdo you," he repeated. "I've got a plan. Been thinking on it all break, and it's perfect."

"What is it?"

Seamus only smiled. "You'll see." He paused. "I will say that it involves Snape."

Neville's stomach knotted a little. "Be careful."

"Don't worry. It's brilliant. Friday, you'll see."

.

The Slytherins were found shortly before dinner the following day. Snape, furious, had announced what had happened in the Great Hall.

"This sort of behavior cannot continue! Attacks on fellow students!" Neville had seen Snape angry before and it still scared him deeply, but it was no longer a paralyzing fear. "Who did this? Who is responsible, come forward?"

"They didn't see who did it?" Padma asked. "Weren't there three of them?"

"Silence!"

"Then how is anyone supposed to come forward." Ernie this time.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff!" Snape shouted. "They will be returned to the House of anyone who turns in this culprit to me!" Neville tensed for a moment. Only a handful of people knew he'd done it, and while he trusted all his friends, if a younger student had overheard him it could be bad.

But no one said anything. Once Snape realized that no one would be grunted and stormed out of the room. Neville suspected that wasn't the end of it, but it was over for now. He breathed a sigh of relief and dinner went on normally.

.

He was in good spirits the rest of the week, though he did manage to get a detention. Alecto was talking about how Muggle-born wizard had actually been born Muggles and had found some way to steal the powers of wizards, something no wizard had ever figured out how to do. She followed up by going on a rant about how Muggle minds were innately inferior to wizards mind, that they could barely function to carry out their meek society. Neville couldn't hold it in. H thought of what Hermione would say and he burst out laughing at the absurdity of it.

"Think my lessons are funny, do you?" Alecto snapped. "Well you can laugh all you like in detention this afternoon." Yet even this hardly dampened Neville's mood.

Snape also made more entreaties, both at meals and to students individually. He never insisted on anyone coming to his office, however, and he soon grew distracted by other work. All in all, not a bad week.

"Tonight's the night," Seamus said. "It's going to happen. You'll see it tomorrow and you won't believe it."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked.

"Seamus is planning something," Neville answered.

Ginny looked at Seamus. "What is it?"

"Something to let them know the DA isn't going away." He puffed out his chest just a little.

"Yeah, but what is it?"

"I want it to be a surprise," Seamus said. "I want to see the looks on all your faces tomorrow."

Ginny smirked. "Well, it better live up to it, then." She paused. "Do you want us to come with you?"

Seamus shook his head. "This is my thing, I want to do it myself. It's nothing dangerous. He won't even notice till after I'm gone."

Ginny frowned but seemed convinced. "Alright. Just be careful."

"I will."

"And use the coin if you get into any trouble."

"I'll be fine," Seamus insisted.

The three of them sat around the common room for a few hours while the younger students trickled off to sleep. Ginny had been pushing for a DA meeting on Saturday but hadn't been able to coordinate with the other Houses to make sure that would work. Neville was eager for a meeting and was disappointed that he'd have to wait.

"Alright, it's time," Seamus said. "I may be one for a while. You don't need to wait up."

Neville yawned. "Yeah, I think I will head up. You sure you can do this alone?"

"Positive."

"We'll see you tomorrow, then," Ginny said.

Seamus waved on his way out the portrait hole.

.

Neville awoke from an odd dream just before breakfast the next morning. He'd been having an odd dream about two of his theories about Seamus's plan. Several Death Eaters were being used as maracas for the giant squid while Amycus, Snape, and Alecto had been turned in to frogs and were forced to fight to the death. Not a bad dream at all.

He was a little disappointed when Seamus wasn't in his bed. Disappointment turned to worry when he realized that his bed hadn't been slept in. He quickly put on some clothes and walked down to the common room.

He caught Lavender and Parvati as they were leaving through the portrait hole. "Hey, have either of you seen Seamus this morning?"

"No," Lavender shook her head. "We just got up."

"Must be at breakfast, then." Neville walked with Lavender and Parvati to the Great Hall. He tried to follow their rapid conversation, but the knot in his stomach was growing and it was hard for him to concentrate.

He quickly found Ginny and Demelza sitting down to the breakfast as they entered the Great Hall. Seamus was still nowhere to be seen.

Neville sat down next to them. "Hey, have you seen Seamus?"

"Not since last night." Ginny's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I don't think he came in last night," Neville said.

"What?" Demelza nearly dropped her fork. "Is this about that thing he was planning?"

"Probably," Ginny said. "Did he tell you what it was?"

Demelza shook her head. "No. Just said it was going to be really great." She kept shaking her head. "What if he got caught?"

Neville and Ginny exchanged a glace. If Seamus really hadn't come back last night, he probably had been caught. But it was hard to say for sure; they'd never kept anyone so long. Perhaps Seamus had hidden in the Room of Requirement and slept in.

Neville looked around the room for any hint of what might have happened. Draco wasn't acting unusually. Snape wasn't at the table, but that wasn't unusual either. Amycus and Alecto spoke in hushed tones, but again, they usually did so during meals. None of the other teachers seemed unduly troubled.

Neville and Ginny caught McGonagall as she left the Great Hall. "Professor," Neville called.

McGonagall turned towards them. "Mr. Longbottom," she said. "What can I do for you?"

"Seamus has been missing since last night."

"Missing?" McGonagall faced became concerned. "What do you mean?"

"He went out last night to do something. We don't think he came back," Ginny explained.

"Don't think, or know?"

"Well, none of us have seen him," Neville said. "It doesn't look like he slept in his bed."

"I'll see what I can find and let you know. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." McGonagall strode down the hall toward Professor Flitwick.

"Think she'll find anything?" Neville asked.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know. Alecto's not very good at keeping secrets, but… I don't know." She sighed. "We should check the Room of Requirement. Just in case."

"Right."

.

After their search of the Room of Requirement turned up nothing, there was nothing to do but wait for word from McGonagall. They walked back from the Room to Gryffindor Tower.

"I knew I should have gone with him," Ginny said. "I was just so tired. And it's not like Seamus can't take care of himself, but it was Snape." She shook her head. "Shouldn't have let him go at all."

Neville grimaced a little. He'd been feeling the same things. "Look, do you really think we could have stopped him?"

"Yes!"

Neville considered this. "Maybe. Or maybe he'd have tried it some other time and we wouldn't have known at all. Either way, this is dangerous. We all knew that going in. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Ginny sighed. "I'm trying."

.

The waiting was starting to get to him. He'd made it through lunch, but when there was no word from McGonagall or anyone else it became too much.

"I want to do something," he blurted.

Ginny looked up from her homework. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything." He remembered something he'd said the other day. "A DA meeting. To work on Patronuses."

"Right now?" Ginny questioned. "Too many people can't make it today. And besides, we already know Patronuses."

"It's different when they're right there in front of you," Neville said. He took out his DA coin and scheduled a meeting in one hour. "Whoever can come will come."

"Alright," Ginny said, setting her books aside. "My brain's melting from all this work anyway." She stood up and stretched. "Neville?"

"Yes?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself."

.

An hour later, students began to file in to the Room of Requirement. Only a handful actually came, but Neville was pleased to see Hannah among them. He was reviewing the charm from a book, waiting for any stragglers, when he heard a voice.

"Neville." He looked up and it was Hannah. "Do you know what the meeting's going to be about?"

"Oh, er, yes," he said. "I'm going to review Patronuses. Like I said."

"Oh, good. I didn't know you were going to be doing that so soon."

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing," Neville said, closing his book. "I guess it's about time to get started."

"Alright." Hannah smiled as Neville got the students together and told them to line up.

"Today we're going to go over the Patronus Charm. I think we all know what a Patronus is, and what it's used for," he began. "Most of us have already formed one. But when you have a Dementor staring you down, when it's right there in front of you, it's different from forming one in here with your friends. I don't have a Dementor here," he said hastily, "but I think reviewing it again, intensively, would be a good idea. We know they'll use them on us, so I think we need to make sure we're ready to fight them. Everyone partner up and practice, and let me or Ginny know if you're having any trouble."

Ginny quickly partnered up with Demelza before Michael could get to her. Neville spent his time making sure at least one partner in each group was confident in their Patronus. He planned on walking around and watching everyone, as Harry used to, and jumping in every now and then to check on everyone first hand. However, and he turned around, he saw that Hannah did not have a partner.

"Isn't Ernie here?" Neville asked.

"No, he was doing some reading," Hannah said. "So I guess we're partners?"

"Um, yeah," Neville said. He still planned on breaking away from her to go check on the others, but found that he really didn't want to. Luckily Ginny took up his slack and went to help out the few students that were having problems with the spell. After about half an hour most everyone seemed to have the hang of it and Neville got an idea.

"Ok everyone, spread your Patronuses around the room. Just spread them out, there you go."

"What's this about?" Ginny asked.

"Patronus tag. You're it!" As he spoke he moved his Patronus over toward Ginny's and made it "tag" her. Ginny smiled and caught on right away, chasing Neville's down, but veering at the last second to tag Anthony Goldstein. Soon students were running around the room and Patronuses along the ceiling while everyone laughed. A Patronus would wink out every now and then at first, but after a few minutes everyone kept it up.

An hour or so later everyone was exhausted but very happy. Neville himself felt like laying down for the next ten hours, but he managed to make a proper dismissal before collapsing into a very convenient chair.

"Good meeting," Michael Corner said on his way out. "I haven't had that much fun all year." He paused. "School year, I mean."

"Thanks." Neville managed a weak smile. He stood up and joined the other Gryffindors when they started to file out. Outside the Room, Hannah was waiting in the hall.

"Everything alright?" Neville asked her.

"Oh, I'm fine," Hannah said. "I was just wondering… if you would walk with me back to my common room? Blaise Zabini has been leering at me lately and I don't want to run into him."

"Oh, well. Sure." Neville felt his face growing warm and did everything in his power to stop it.

Lavender and Parvati exchanged a look, but before they could say anything Ginny spoke. "We'll see you back at the Tower then?" She herded the other two girls off without waiting for an answer.

Neville let Hannah lead him toward the Hufflepuff common room. They walked in silence for a while, but Neville felt it wasn't really awkward.

It was Hannah who eventually spoke first. "That was a great lesson," she said. "I feel a lot better about my Patronus."

"It just kind of came to me," Neville said sheepishly. "I thought it would be fun."

"It was!" Hannah agreed. "And now everyone has a good memory for their Patronus." Neville wasn't sure the game would be a strong enough memory when facing down a pack of Dementors, but it certainly wouldn't hurt, so he said nothing. "Is Seamus still missing?"

"You heard?" Hannah nodded. "Yeah, I'm really worried about him."

"Do you think the Carrows… or Snape…"

"Probably," Neville said glumly. "But we don't know for sure. It's not exactly like them. But I can't see what else it could be, unless he just… left…"

"Seamus wouldn't do that." She looked over at him. "Would he?"

"No." Neville shook his head. "He wouldn't. They've got him. I just hope they don't hurt him too badly."

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Yeah."

"I remember when they took my mother," Hannah said softly. "They told me she was dead at first, but she was just missing at that point."

"You don't have to talk about this," Neville said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"No, it's fine. I want to," she said. "I need to." She ran her hands through her hair. He voice was uneven when she spoke. "I went home and my dad told me what happened. And we waited. I hated that part, the waiting. I thought that was going to be the worst part. That's what they always say, but it wasn't. When they found her…" Hannah wiped her eyes a little. "She fought. There was a lot of blood and stray spells. They think she escaped and they caught her."

"Hannah, you don't…" Neville trailed off. "Why tell me?"

"Because I feel like you'd understand," she said. "And I'm sorry to just spring it on you like this, but I've needed to say this for a while." She shook her head again. "Ernie… he sympathizes, but he's never lost anyone. He doesn't really understand. My dad's a wreck. He's just started pulling himself back together and he's not ready to talk about it."

"I'm sorry," Neville said. He wanted to say more, but he wasn't sure what to say. He opened his mouth and the words just came out. "You had a lot of time with your mom. You should think about those things."

"Well I try, but I always think about times when we got in fights, or when I blew her off to do something else, something stupid, and that's all I can ever think about."

"Don't talk like that," Neville said. "That's not like you at all."

"I usually just don't think about it," she said. "I'm happier that way, but it all catches up with me sometimes."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Hannah, you know you… always want to spend more time with someone once they're gone. You always want more, no matter what happened." He took a deep breath. "But you can't live your life for just one person. It doesn't make sense. You need your own life. And besides, I bet some of the time when you were doing something else, maybe it was something important. Maybe you were with someone else. Someone you might miss if… you know…" He cleared his throat. "And even if it wasn't always, then you learnt to do better. Parents don't want their kids to cry over them."

He looked at her, but she was looking at the floor. Eventually he looked down too. They eventually stopped by as statute of a witch Neville didn't recognize. Hannah looked up at him.

"Thank you, Neville."

"It's no problem," Neville said. "I didn't have anywhere to be, and if Blaise…"

"No, I mean for everything," Hannah said. "You're right. I'll always wish I'd done more when someone dies. But I can't spend all my time with one person, even my mother. And she wouldn't want me to be sad when I think about her. I think I knew that already, but it was good to hear someone else say it. I needed it."

"Oh, sure," Neville said. "I've been through… something like that before."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It was a long time ago."

"Alright. Well if you need to talk about it, it's the least I can do."

Neville smiled. "Thanks."

Hannah smiled back. "Alright. I'd best be going." She turned around and held her hand on the witch's shoulder. The wall to the side opened up, revealing a short stairway that led to a common room.

"You don't have a password?" Neville asked.

"No. You just hold your hand on the witch's shoulder." Hannah shuffled her feet. "Well, bye, Neville." She turned and walked toward the stairway, turned back, and gave Neville a big hug. Surprised, Neville managed to return it. Neville liked the way she felt in his arms. As they parted she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Neville watched her walk into the common room as the wall closed behind her. Half in a daze, he began the walk back to his own common room.

"So, how was your walk with Hannah?" Ginny asked when Neville got back.

"It was nice," he said. "We had a nice talk." He didn't want to say more. "I didn't know Blaise was bothering her again."

"Neville, you don't think she's really scared of Blaise, do you?"

"She's not?" Ginny laughed a little, probably at the look on his face. "No, I guess she wouldn't be."

Ginny popped up out of her seat. "Come on. Let's head down for dinner."


	17. Chapter 17: Crackdown

Chapter Seventeen: Crackdown

Seamus's bed was still empty early the following morning. Neville hadn't slept well and now he was really starting to worry. He hoped McGonagall would know something when they spoke at breakfast. Even if the Carrows had him at least he would know.

He met Ginny and Demelza in the common room and they set off for the Great Hall. They opened the portrait hole and saw a familiar figure standing just outside.

"Seamus!" the three of them called almost in unison.

"It's me…" Seamus said weakly before collapsing against the wall. He looked terrible. His robes were barely hanging on him and covered in patches of blood. His right leg was severely discolored and swollen and his left arm hung limply at his side.

"What happened? Great Merlin…" Demelza was at his side a moment later, holding him up. Neville and Ginny were right behind her.

"Are you alright?" Neville couldn't think of anything to say.

"Do I look alright?" He thought Seamus looked at him but it was hard to tell because of the swelling.

"What happened?" Ginny asked as they worked him through the portrait hole.

"They caught me outside Snape's office," Seamus said as they set him down in a chair. "Kept me locked up. They tortured me… didn't feed me…" He gave a weak, half smile. "I didn't tell them anything though." Demelza paled as her expression became even more worried.

"You need food," Ginny said.

"Oh, yeah… that would be great."

"Alright. Neville, get Seamus into some clean clothes. We'll go save some food from the Great Hall."

"Can't you bring some back?" Seamus asked.

"We'll try, but they probably won't let us," Ginny said. "They won't want to do you any favors."

Neville came back with some of Seamus's other robes. Neville helped Seamus take off the remains of the old robes.

"I was starting to think you'd never get back," Neville said.

"I'm here now."

Seamus didn't say much else as he got into his new robes. The rest of his body was covered in cut and bruises. Once he was dressed and there was no sign of Ginny and Demelza Neville helped him down to the Great Hall. It was slow going but they made it as the Hall was filling up. Ginny and Demelza had saved Seamus a seat right by the door.

"We made it," Neville said as they sat down. "What do you want?"

"I don't know. Just some bread." Neville picked up a couple of biscuits for Seamus and added a little sausage for good measure. Seamus took a few bites of the biscuit but the effort seemed both painful and tiring. He set it down barely half eaten.

"What's wrong?" Demelza asked softly.

"What do you think?" Seamus snapped. Demelza looked confused but seemed to shrug it off. Neville imagined she'd been hoping for a more joyful reunion. She seemed to understand Seamus needed some space, but she didn't eat much the rest of the meal.

"How bad was it?" Neville eventually asked. "You're really messed up."

"I know," Seamus said, pushing his food away. "It was like a really long detention. They hurt me… so much." Seamus buried his face in his hands. "I still shouldn't be like this. I'm sorry." Demelza looked at him but Neville wasn't sure he was talking to her.

"It's fine," Ginny said from across the table.

"They used Legilimency." He pursed his lips. "I kept them from getting anything useful."

"That's good," Neville said. "You did really well, Seamus."

"Thanks." He took a few more bites of his food but mostly left his breakfast untouched. The others finished and they got up to leave, Neville helping Seamus along. Draco Malfoy and few Slytherins stood in their way.

"You're looking well, Finnigan," Draco said. "Have a nice weekend?" Nott and the others snickered behind him.

"Learned to obey the curfew?" Pansy Parkinson quipped. Neville hated dealing with her. She had actually grown up to be quite pretty and Neville found it disconcerting when he had to deal with her. The other Slytherins laughed.

"Makes sense that you'd only have the guts to pick on someone who can barely stand," Ginny said. "But the rest of us are still here and feeling quite well, so shove off Malfoy." Ginny pushed past him and Neville followed, keeping himself between Draco and Seamus.

"Or what, Little Weasel?" Draco shouted after them. "You'll get detention for that, you know!"

"I'm so scared," Ginny called back without turning.

"Don't let him get to you," Neville said. "He's just trying to kick you while you're down."

"I know," Seamus said. "I think I need to lay down for a bit when we get back."

"Sure thing."

.

"I hope he's going to be all right," Ginny said once Neville came back down from helping Seamus to his room. "Getting tortured and being cut off for so long can really mess you up."

"I know."

"Oh." Ginny shifted in her seat. "I mean, I just hope he's ok. He's pretty shaken."

"He'll be fine in a few days." The other Gryffindors began to file in after that and everyone tried to catch up on their homework. Neville hated doing the work for Amycus and Alecto but he wanted to avoid more detentions, especially when Seamus might still need them to look out for him.

Seamus stayed in his room till lunch when he came down on his own power and said he was hungry. The three of them went down to the Great Hall; Demelza had left earlier with Lavender and Parvati. Seamus's appetite seemed to have returned and he completely cleaned his plate. Lunch had nearly ended when Snape strode in. Neville hadn't seen much of him since coming back and it made him sick just to look at him. He caught Seamus's eye and saw a cold hatred.

"Students, I have an announcement," Snape said. "In light of certain events that have occurred this weekend, and students found violating the curfew will now be subject to double detentions. That is all."

"Is that because of you?" Lavender asked Seamus once Snape left.

"Probably." The hate practically dripped from Seamus's voice. Neville couldn't blame him for being angry, even though it was a little disconcerting to see the look on Seamus's face. Neville looked away and quickly finished his food.

.

After lunch Seamus sat with them by the fire, though he didn't talk much while they worked.

"Ginny," he eventually said. She looked up from her Transfiguration book. "I want to have a meeting for Dumbledore's Army. I think it would help get me back on track."

"Sure," Ginny said. "We can have one tomorrow. That's when I planning to have one anyway, before Neville's impromptu one last night."

"Last night? You had a meeting while I was gone?"

"It helped take my mind off worrying," Neville said sheepishly.

"And I think he helped things between him and Hannah," Ginny said with a grin.

"Hannah Abbot?" Seamus raised an eyebrow.

"Do we know any others?"

"I guess not."

"Anyway, I'll spread the word and we'll get one together tomorrow," Ginny said. "Was there anything you wanted to do in particular?"

"No, I just wanted to get back into it, you know?"

Neville and Ginny both nodded before going back to their work.

.

Seamus must have been feeling better because he was gone by the time Neville got up. Neville's grandmother also got up early; he never understood how someone could manage to do it every day.

He met Seamus in the Great Hall and they had breakfast together before heading off to Charms. Seamus seemed almost completely returned to his old self- he even seemed to have gotten over whatever was making him ignore Demelza.

Flitwick seemed distracted during Charms and only taught them a single spell- a self sustaining hovering charm. "Very useful for when… when you have to carry… when you have too much to hold on to," he said.

Flitwick wound up letting the class early, just as Neville was able to get his textbook to stay up for over a minute.

"Hey, I'm going to drop this off back at the dorm," Neville said, holding up his Charms textbook.

"Have fun," Ginny said absently. "I'll see you in," she paused for a moment before making a face, "Alecto's class." She'd taken to trying to come up with a way to make fun of Alecto's name, but so far nothing had come to her.

"See you," Neville said.

He arrived at Muggle Studies just behind Seamus who had set his books down and gone to the bathroom.

"Another fun day with Alecto," Seamus grimaced as they sat down.

"I just tune her out," Neville said softly. Seamus chuckled but Neville wasn't making it up. He found it best to ignore Alecto and think about more pleasant things, usually Hannah, or the latest Potterwatch.

Today, however, his thoughts drifted to Harry. He'd begun wondering just how Harry would have handled the situation so far; he was sure he'd have done a better job. He wouldn't always be wondering what to do, he wouldn't have let Luna…

They hadn't heard from Harry since the possible Ministry break-in. Neville was beginning to doubt Harry had even been involved in that. All they'd really had was speculation. In any case, Neville wondered what Harry had been up to. He'd been searching for something, but he must have found it by now. Maybe he was done with that and was trying to find a way to get to Hogwarts and help out all his friends.

Now there was a good thought: Harry, Hermione, and Ron all coming back. They could hide out in the Room of Requirement and they would figure out a way to kick the Carrows and Snape out for good and then eventually defeat Voldemort once and for all.

"That's a lie!" Neville was jerked from his reverie by the sound of Seamus shouting next to him. "That's complete bullshit!"

"What did you say?" Alecto was suddenly in front of him, leaning over the desk to look directly at Seamus. Her eyes were wild and he mouth kept twitching. She'd taken out her wand.

"What you just said about Muggle not bathing and all. They invented showers!"

"Annoying brat!" Alecto said. "Just shut up and maybe I'll only give you one detention." She straightened up, remembering that she was supposed to be a teacher. "We should never have let you out."

"But you did, didn't you?" Seamus said. "Must be hard, always having to listen to your brother. But then, he's the better wizard, so I guess it makes sense that he's in charge."

"Not true!" A vein in Alecto's neck was starting to throb. Neville trying to silently tell Seamus to shut up, but he just went on.

"Oh. Wasn't what it seemed like," Seamus said, "what with you always going along with whatever he wanted."

"Shut up! Just shut up!!" Alecto flicked her wand and Seamus flew up from his seat crashed into the wall in the back of the room. "Out! Get out and don't come back!" She flicked her wand again and this time Seamus flew toward the door, smashed through it, and landed in a slump under a window. "Someone fix the door," Alecto said before continuing on her anti-Muggle diatribe.

Parvati Patil jumped to her feet in the back of the room. She went outside and carefully charmed the door back into place and fixed it from the outside. In spite of his concern, Neville admired her plan; Alecto didn't notice that she hadn't come back into the room while she was probably tending to Seamus.

Neville waited a few minutes until Alecto calmed down a little and asked if he could go to the bathroom. Sure enough, Alecto never even thought to question him. He carefully closed the door and went over to where Parvati was crouching next to Seamus.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked.

"Do you think I'm alright?" Brief rage flared in Seamus's eyes but was soon quenched. "No, sorry. That just really hurt." He grimaced and he tried to get himself into a sitting position. "I need to get to the Hospital Wing."

"Come on," Parvati said. "We can carry him."

Together they were able to take most of Seamus's weight and help him hobble to see Madam Pomfrey. One of his ankles was swollen but Parvati didn't think it was broken.

"Oh no, not another one!" Madam Pomfrey said as she swooped down on them. "Come, come, let's get you to a bed." They walked to the back of the room till they found an empty bed.

"Why are they all here?" Seamus asked.

"Same as you, I imagine," Madam Pomfrey answered. "The Slytherins have been unusually violent since school started back."

"It was a teacher, actually."

"And that Alecto Carrow! She sends more students here than… I don't even know!" She threw her hands up. "I'd go have a talk with her if I ever had a moment to leave here." She took a deep breath. "Get on back to class now. I'll see to your friend shortly."

"Alright," Neville said. "Take care, Seamus."

"Yeah," Seamus said, glancing at a second year boy who was holding his arm and whimpering.

They got back in time for the end of Alecto's lecture. Ginny came up to him in the hall once class let out.

"How is he?"

"Not too bad, I don't think," Neville said. "Madam Pomfrey didn't really get the chance to look at him."

Ginny grimaced. "Well, she's always been able to fix anything," Ginny said. "Once she gets the chance."

They parted ways as Neville left for Herbology. He would finally get to see Hannah, and that thought put him in better spirits.

.

Seamus limped into Amycus's class a few minutes before it began. Amycus was late, as he often was. Neville suspected he liked to make the students jump by suddenly sweeping into the room once they were all there.

"You sure you should be here?" Neville asked. Seamus was clearly favoring one leg.

"Not really," Seamus said. "But Amycus will give me a detention if I miss his class."

"Was Madam Pomfrey able to see you?" Ginny asked.

"She gave me something to ease some of the pain but I'll have to go back tonight to really get fixed up."

"I'm surprised she let you go at all." Neville had heard that she kept students all afternoon for something as minor as a skinned knee.

"I don't think she has the energy to argue anymore."

Amycus swept in at that point. Neville actually wondered if Amycus had enchanted his cloak to flow and flutter behind him, as it did so even inside the school.

"Before we begin," Amycus said from the front of the room, "I have a small matter to attend to. Will Seamus Finnigan stand up?" Neville's heart sank and he reached for his wand; Ginny did the same. They weren't going to let anyone else do anything to Seamus- even Amycus Carrow. Seamus stood up, eyes locked on Amycus. "It has come to my attention that there was an incident in my sister's class earlier today.

"Well, let it be known now, and to all. Any who are unwelcome in my sister's class are also unwelcome in mine. Be gone, Mister Finnigan!"

Neville saw Seamus try to hide a smile as he gathered his books to leave. Amycus didn't seem to realize that most people don't consider being sent away from him a form of punishment. Neville was jealous, actually. He was tempted to try and rile Alecto up as well, though he knew he wouldn't. Alecto was too unstable; next time she might do permanent damage. And besides, Neville wasn't sure he'd really be able to pull it off like Seamus could.

The door closed behind Seamus as Neville began to tune out Amycus's lecture as well.

.

"Alright, we're going to have a meeting tonight, just after dinner," Ginny announced. "I need to talk with the Ravenclaws but I think they'll be fine with it."

"Good. Maybe it'll help Seamus get his spirits up." Madam Pomfrey had done as much as she could to help his leg but he still limped slightly and said it hurt.

"We can hope," Ginny agreed.

"So it's tonight?" Seamus asked as he came down from the dorm. If he'd heard them talking about him he gave no indication.

Ginny nodded. "We should have a turnout. Everyone's ready to get back into it."

"Good." Seamus sat close to the fire. "Let me know when you and Ginny are leaving."

"It'll be right after supper."

"Oh, I best grab a shower then," Seamus said. "I want to wash all the Hospital Wing smell off me."

.

They found the Room of Requirement ready for them as always. The couches and chairs were arranged in a semi-circle and there were a few targets and spellbooks in the back of the room.

"So what's the plan?" Seamus asked.

"I think we'll fill everyone in on what happened over the break and then have some basic spell practice. Get everyone warmed up again and then maybe put up some more recruitment signs." Ginny stretched abruptly and began casting Stunning Charms at some of the targets in the back. Neville filled Seamus in one what he could remember about the two classes he had missed.

"It's important to know what the Carrows are telling everyone," Seamus reasoned, "even if none of it's true. We need to know how to react." The others began to show up shortly after; Ginny insisted they all not come in one big drove right after dinner. Neville was pleased to see a few new faces, mostly younger students, sitting among the couches and chairs.

Hannah came in just as the room was filling up; Ginny and Neville had already taken their places in front of the other students. "So, we're all back at Hogwarts now," Ginny said, "and it's time we got things started up again. Time to let them know we're still here. As you may have seen, the Carrows took down some of our recruitment messages. I want two up to replace every one that was taken down. I managed to get more of the paint over the holiday." She'd told Neville that earlier; it had been part of Fred and George's Christmas present to her. "That's for later, though. For now, I think we'll all just keep working on our spells. Most of us probably couldn't practice over the holiday and I want to make sure no one got rusty. I'd like to go ahead and get started now, unless anyone else has anything to say?"

"Excuse me," Terry Boot said, "but what happened to Luna? I heard… I heard a lot of things, but all I know is that she didn't come back."

Ginny looked over to Neville, eyebrows raised but with sympathy in her eyes. She thought it might be good for him to tell everyone what he had seen but would understand if he did not.

"I was there," Neville said softly. No one had been making any noise while Ginny spoke but now the room somehow seemed even quieter. "She wasn't Kissed." He figured that was a good place to start. "They're using her to get to her father, so they wanted her whole, I guess." He cleared his throat. He was looking at the back of the room. "They cornered us near the front of the room. We tried to fight them but they… we couldn't. It's different when they're right there. They feel like… when you touch them, they feel like pure cold. Two of them took Luna and she just went limp." He shook his head. "But they didn't Kiss her."

"So she's ok?" Terry Boot asked.

"I don't think they'll hurt her too bad," Neville repeated. But he thought of the look of terror on Luna's carefree face as the Dementors dragged her away, how it felt like all the warmth had been pulled out of him when one had touched him and he knew Luna wasn't alright, but he kept that thought to himself.

"Alright then," Ginny said, taking over, "let's form in small groups for later tonight. I'll pass out the spray cans and then we'll work on shield charms and stunning spells. Any questions? Alright, let's go." Ginny clapped her hands and the students started breaking in to groups. "Hey, are you alright?"

"That seemed to take a lot out of you," Seamus said.

"I'm fine." Neville took a deep breath. "Just… everything with Luna. Still feels like yesterday."

"You two weren't… involved, were you?" Seamus asked.

"No." Neville smiled in spite of himself. "Why does everyone think that? We're just friends. And I would have told you for sure."

"Right, mate," Seamus said. "Just asking."

"Neville, could I talk to you for a minute?" Ginny asked.

"Sure. No problem."

They walked over towards the door. "I just wanted to apologize. I was a bitch to you when you came back. I thought I was mad at you from… before the break. But I think I was just mad at myself. I know you feel like it was your fault because you were right there with her." Neville had never said as much out loud but it was very true. "But the fact is that you shouldn't have been alone. I should have done better. I should I have made sure you were with us, or realized they were after her. I was mad at myself and taking it out you and it wasn't fair, and-"

"Ginny, it's alright," Neville said with a smile. "Maybe we both could have done better, but it wasn't us that took her."

"I know," She said. "It just… I don't know. It feels like we haven't been able to do much, and when they took Luna…."

"It's not your fault though," Neville said. "We're kids going against the Death Eaters and the Ministry. I think if all we can do is annoy them, we're doing alright."

Now Ginny smiled too. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I just…" She looked away.  
"I know Harry and Dumbledore were close, but he was our Headmaster too. And to have his killer right here and not be able to really do anything to him... it gets to me."

"I know." Neville offered her a half smile. "Come on. Let's get back to practice. We'll do what we can."

"Alright. I think you, me, and Seamus should go together tonight."

"Sounds good." Neville admired how quickly Ginny could get right back to business. It had been almost month and he still wasn't sure he was truly back to normal yet.

Seamus agreed to come along with them, and even had an idea of where to put it. "Somewhere big. Where everyone can see it." He was smiling and finally seemed like his old self. "We want everyone to know we're back. I think the Great Hall would be best."

"No." Ginny shook her head. "I tried to sneak in one night. They lock it up pretty tight."

"Maybe the entrance hall, then?" Seamus pressed on. "Right under the house points. Everyone will see it there."

Ginny considered this for a moment. "I like it. Neville?"

"Works for me," Neville said. "We'll just have to make sure we time it right. I think two of Draco's patrols run through there at different times, but we should be fine as long as it's just the usual message."

"It's a plan, then. I'm going check with the other groups and make sure there's no overlap and then we should probably head back so we can be in by curfew." She looked past Neville for a moment. "Want to help me keep it all straight, Seamus?"

"Uh, sure." He looked a little confused; Ginny had never had trouble remembering things like that before. But as soon as they left Hannah walked over and Neville understood.

"I'm excited," Hannah said. "It's so good to get out and really do something again. However small."

"Yeah," Neville agreed, his stomach knotting up.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "I mean, after telling everyone…"

"It's fine," Neville said. "They had a right to know."

"It couldn't have been easy."

Neville lowered his head a little. "No."

"Well, this is just the thing then, right?" Hannah cocked her head so she could look him in the eye. Neville smiled and looked up straight. "I think Ernie's leaving. I should head out with him."

"Alright. I'll see you later." There was an awkward moment where Neville wanted to reach out and hug her but wasn't sure if he should. Instead they just looked at each other for a moment until Hannah left with a hint of red on her cheeks. Neville wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Ginny walked back up with Seamus and Michael in tow. "Alright, we're good to go," she said. "Let's hurt and get back."

Seamus broke off in the hallway to go to the bathroom, leaving Neville along with Michael and Ginny. He could practically see the annoyance radiating off Ginny, but Michael seemed completely oblivious.

"So do you have any bigger plans for the rest of the year?" Michael asked.

"A few," Ginny said, looking slightly relieved. "I really want to take the Desensulator. Find out where they keep it and destroy it."

"Why not just nab it during detention?"

Ginny shook her head. "Amycus and Alecto may be morons, but they're powerful wizards. Going at them directly while weak from detention wouldn't be the best idea. And it would be hard to make sure we all got in at the same day without arousing their suspicions. They might catch on if we look like we're trying to hard." She tilted her head. "Or they could just blast us through the wall like Alecto did to Seamus the other day."

Michael nodded. "Fair point. Anything else?"

"I've got some ideas here and there, but nothing I've really formed into a solid plan. I'd love to Transfigure Snape's clothes pink, but I don't know how I would get into his chambers."

Neville and Michael both laughed a little at that. "Have you heard anything from Harry?" Michael asked. "Anthony was talking the other day and we were just wondering if you knew if he was coming back."

Ginny's voice became tauter. "I haven't heard anything from Harry. I'd have told everyone if I'd heard anything."

"Right, right, of course." Michael shook his head. "It's just… we know he's doing something important, but he wouldn't leave us, would he? I mean, he must have some idea of what's going on here. We're his friends. He'll come back for us when he can, right?"

"I…" Ginny voice trailed off and she cleared he throat. "I don't know. We've heard nothing about him since September. I would think-"

"I'm sure he hasn't forgotten us," Neville said. "He'll come back when he can. When he has some way to fight You Know Who."

"Of course."

"Wasn't your corridor back a ways?" Ginny asked abruptly.

Michael stopped and look around it. "So it was," he agreed. "Um, good chatting. I'll see you guys tomorrow at breakfast!" He turned and hurried back toward Ravenclaw Tower.

"Thanks," Ginny said. She let out a deep sigh. "I know Harry has to keep a low profile with the way things are. I just still wish I'd heard something from him."

"It's alright. He'll be back."

They reached the portrait hole and climbed in. Then there was nothing to do but wait.

.

The DA members stayed up in the common room till around eleven, working on homework or just chatting. Ginny eventually shooed a couple of third years up to their rooms when they were ready to set off.

"We all have our assignments. Make it quick and keep lookouts. Don't fight unless you have to; there are a lot of patrols out tonight."

"Right." Parvati nodded. "We'll go first and you guys follow us in a few minutes."

Parvati's group consisted of herself, Lavender, Euan Abercrombie and his friend Deladus Diggle. Neville was concerned at the loud whispers passing between Euan and Deladus, but the got quiet once they were in the corridor.

Ginny, Neville, Seamus, and Demelza set off after them. Seamus and Demelza had been talking some since the DA meeting and Neville hoped things were getting back to normal between them.

Ginny took the lead, keeping them going a slow pace with frequent stops to listen for patrols. They were trying to take the lesser used halls; it would take longer but there was less chance of getting spotted. They once had to change course to avoid Professor Vector, but beyond that they made it without incident.

"Where are we putting it?" Demelza asked.

"Right there. Under the hourglasses." Neville could dimly see Ginny pointing a ways up the wall. Neville was no longer sure how many points any of the Houses had; once Hufflepuff dipped into negative points as well he stopped checking; it had stopped really mattering a long time ago.

"Seamus, Demelza, you're on lookout. Neville, stay with me." Ginny pulled the spray can out of her robes and levitated herself a few feet off the ground and began writing the message. Neville felt nervous exhilaration as he saw the message appear on the wall; the paint glowed in the dark so it could be read at any time of day.

She had just finished the "Y" in "Army" when a voice cut rang out through the hall. "I've found them! They're in here, I've found them!" Neville whirled and saw several figures coming in from the other side of the entrance hall. One of them looked like Draco Malfoy, flanked by two large, boulder-like silhouettes.

Ginny crashed to the ground beside him and shot off a stunning spell into the crowd. In the light of the spell he definitely saw Malfoy.

"Run!" Ginny shouted and he didn't need to be told twice. He followed Ginny down the nearest corridor, which was mercifully vacant. He looked back once for Seamus and Demelza, but they had been on the other side of the room. Part of him wanted to go back, but a more rational part knew it was foolish; nothing good would come from all of them getting caught.

Several corridors away they both finally slowed down. They heard no sounds of pursuit and Ginny was breathing as hard as he was. They leaned against the cool wall and caught their breath.

"They found us," Neville finally managed to say.

"It was bound to happen eventually." Ginny pushed herself off the wall. "We'll just have to hope Seamus and Demelza are alright."

Neville heard footsteps down the hall, but not from the direction they had been coming. Ginny motioned for them to duck behind a suit of armor. The footsteps grew closer, accompanied by heavy breathing. A girl finally walked into the torchlight.

"Parvati?" Ginny called out. "Is that you?"

The girl stiffened and drew her wand until she saw Ginny. "No, it's Padma." She relaxed visibly as they came closer.

"Padma, what happened? Where is everyone else?" Ginny asked.

"We were discovered," she answered. "We were in the dungeons near the Slytherin common room and they were there."

"Who was?"

"Theodore Nott, I think." Padma's eyes started to tear up and her voice wavered. "Alecto Carrow and a few others. Parvati saw them but they saw us right after. We tried to fight them, but Alecto…." Padma shuddered.

"They hit Deladus. I think it was Deladus…" she trailed off, trying to remember. "He screamed and then it all just happened to fast. I told everyone to run but Parvati tried to help Deladus." She began to sob. "I left my sister."

"It's ok," Ginny said. "You had to run. You couldn't have fought Alecto on your own."

"There's no sense in both of you getting caught." Neville laid a hand on her shoulder. "Parvati wouldn't want you to get caught for her sake." He felt he was also trying to reassure himself about Seamus and Demelza.

"Come on, let's get you back. They won't go too hard on Parvati." Neville considered the treatment Seamus had gotten and doubted it. "We'll get you back to the Tower."

Padma nodded and held in her sobs. They walked in silence, listening carefully for anyone following or approaching. Padma led the way once she calmed down since neither Neville nor Ginny were really sure how to get to Ravenclaw Tower.

"What happened to you?" Padma finally spoke.

"A patrol came across us in the Great Hall," Neville said. "I thought we had it timed right, but I guess not."

"Do you think the others are alright?"

"I'm sure they're fine."

"Will you use your Galleon to let me know if Parvati comes back?" Padma asked.

"Of course."

"You should try to get some sleep," Ginny advised. "We all need it."

"Thanks," Padma said. "Goodnight."

They watched to make sure Padma got into her Tower, trying not to overhear the password, before setting off on their own, again walking in silence.

.

They made it to the Tower without incident. Inside their common room, they found Euan Abercrombie huddling on the floor by the fire.

Ginny and Neville rushed to his side. "Are you alright?" Ginny asked.

"No." His eyes were vacant, his voice monotone. "That Alecto… she…"

"Don't talk about it," Neville said.

"Parvati and Deladus. Were they ok?" Ginny asked.

Euan shook his head.

"I think you should get to bed." Neville stood and held a hand out to him. "Get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." Neville wasn't sure he believed that, but even so he thought it was the best option. Euan got to his feet and walked slowly toward the stairway.

The portrait hole creaked behind him and he turned to see Seamus pulling himself into the room.

"Seamus!" Neville felt a rush of exhilaration and relief. He and Ginny ran across the room and hugged Seamus. "You made it!"

"Thank Merlin you're both here." Seamus returned the hug. "I thought you'd be pinched for sure."

"Where's Demelza?" Ginny asked as she pulled away.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her." Neville felt his heart sink again. Parvati, Deladua, now Demelza too. What was going to happen to them?

"Did you see anyone else?"

"The only faces I recognized were Amycus and Draco."

"Amycus was there too?" Ginny asked.

Seamus nodded. "Pushed past him to get away. Guess he couldn't see me too well in the dark."

"Lucky," Neville said.

"This is bad," Ginny said.

"Picked up on that," Seamus said coldly.

Ginny shook her head. "I'm sorry, I was thinking. We need to get to bed. I have the feeling we're all going to need a lot of sleep."

"Sounds good to me," Seamus agreed.

"I'm going to stay up a bit," Neville said. "Just see if Parvati or anyone else shows up."

Ginny gave him a look but said nothing. "See you in the morning," Seamus said with a shrug. "Don't be up too late."

"I won't," Neville promised.

He fell asleep in the empty common room half an hour later.


	18. Chapter 18: Potions

**Chapter 18: Potions**

"Neville. Neville." Someone was shaking him. He tried to form some words to respond but only managed a kind of moan. "Alright, let's try that." He opened his eyes and saw Ginny standing over him, a weak smile on her face. "Well good morning, sunshine."

"Hey," he finally managed to say as he fully woke up. "Was there any sign of them?"

"Not as far as I know," Ginny said. "Parvati didn't come in last night. Neither did Lavender."

"Lavender." Neville had forgotten about her.

"She wound up with Ernie, Hannah, and Susan I think."

Neville heart sank. If Lavender was with Hannah, and Lavender hadn't come back…

"Let's grab Seamus and go to breakfast," Ginny said. "Maybe we can get some answers there."

Neville went up to their room and found that Seamus had already left for breakfast. Probably hoping to hear something and not wanting to wake anyone. Neville changed robes and went back down. "Seamus's already down. Let's go."

They left out the portrait hole and nearly ran into Lavender.

"Lavender!" Neville hugged her in excitement. He imagined she was making a funny face but he didn't care. "You're alright!"

"More or less," she said, pulling herself away. She her hair and robes were a little rumpled and unkempt but she did not appear to be hurt.

"We ran into a patrol," Lavender said. She sounded tired but not upset. "We came up behind them. Ernie told us to back off but they saw us as we were getting around the corner."

"Did they catch anyone?" Ginny asked.

"No, we had enough of a head start. We stuck together and got back to the Hufflepuff dorm and they let me stay overnight. They have a lot of free space this year." She looked towards the portrait and tugged on her robes a little. "Is Parvati already at breakfast?"

.

Lavender had taken the news that the Carrows and Snape had Parvati badly. They finally convinced her to come with them down to breakfast, thinking some food and some company might do her some good. And perhaps Parvati and some of the others had taken shelter with the Ravenclaws.

Those hopes were dashed the second they walked into the Great Hall. Hanging above the staff table, wrapped in chains and suspended in the air, were the students that had been caught the previous night. The Slytherin table was pointing and laughing but the rest of the hall was dead silent, all eyes on the students in the air.

Lavender was sobbing next to him again while Ginny tried to comfort her. Neville tried to look away but he couldn't. He could make out Parvati, Demelza, and Deladus. Most of them were hanging their heads, though, and Neville couldn't make out their robes through the chains. Amycus and Alecto Carrow along with Crabbe and a few other Slytherins, stood in front of the staff table, arms crossed, practically daring anyone to try something. McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick were nowhere to be seen.

"Get out of the way, Longbottom." Neville snapped out of his reverie and turned to see Theodore Nott and a group of Slytherins standing behind him. "You're blocking the door." Neville looked back without saying anything. "Hey, move!" Nott sounded frustrated at being ignored. Without really thinking, Neville stepped slightly to the side. "Oh, good. I think I can just squeeze by." Neville didn't even turn to look at him this time. From the corner of his eye he saw Pansy open her mouth to say something to Lavender but Ginny glared and she thought better of it.

"Come on, let's sit down," Ginny said. Not a bad idea; Lavender looked pretty unsteady and Neville felt a little lightheaded himself.

"You scared?" It took Neville a moment to realize she was talking to him.

"Not for me."

"Good."

Seamus walked in a moment later. He stopped like he'd hit a brick wall as soon as he was through the doors. He stared up at the suspended students for a moment before slowly coming to sit.

"What… have they done anything yet?" he asked.

"No," Ginny answered.

"What are they going to do?"

"Nothing good."

Snape came in a moment later, through the front doors rather than the staff entrance, flanked by the House heads, minus Slughorn. He probably wanted to make sure he was noticed. The Slytherin table grew quiet and the few students from other houses that had been talking stopped. He said something in a low, sharp voice and the House heads stopped at the door. McGonagall looked angry, though Sprout and Flitwick looked more troubled.

Snape stopped to talk to the Carrows for a moment before turning to address the students. "I'm sure you all have noticed our special guests this morning," he began. "These students were found breaking curfew last night, many of whom we suspect were attempting to engage in subversive activity. They, along with many others. Unfortunately, some of the perpetrators escape, but of the slower ones… Well, you can see what happened.

"The students will serve detention the rest of the week. After some deliberation, we have decided to release them from their current confinements, that they might attend class." Snape smirked. "Though I suspect it will pale compared to the lesson they learned last night.

"Anyone else found out at night engaging in any subversive activity can expect the same." Snape waved his wand and the chains vanished.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" McGonagall voice called out. The spell was echoed around the hall and a number of the students stopped falling. Neville saw Demezla was still falling and tried to cast the spell himself but it looked like she still hit the ground hard. Ginny hopped out of her seat and ran to the front of the hall.

"Come on." Neville pulled on Seamus's sleeve.

"Right." The two of them went to see Demelza. Her left ankle was swelling and starting to turn purple but at least there we no bones sticking out.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked. It was a stupid question but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"My ankle," was all Demlza managed to say through grit teeth.

"Anything else?" She managed a weak headshake. "Alright, let's get you up." Together he and Seamus managed to get Demelza to her feet and supported her between them. "We'll get you to Madam Pomfrey, come on."

"All students will be required to attend all classes today," Snape said from behind them at the staff table. He had taken his seat and was starting to eat his breakfast. "Students who owe a detention will not be permitted to the Hospital Wing till after they have served their detention." Neville felt his blood boil but held his tongue as they carried Demelza over to the Gryffindor table.

"Severus that's monstrous!" McGonagall's voice rang through the hall.

"You will address me as Headmaster," Snape snapped. "Perhaps this will teach them not to keep me up at night." With that Snape strode out of the hall, Amycus and Alecto in tow.

Hannah stood as they walked past.

"Demelza, are you ok?" She shook her head before Demelza said anything. "That's a silly question. Here, which leg did you hurt?"

"Right," she said weakly.

"Let me try…" She took out her wand. "_Gravtius Nullus_!"

"What's that?"

"Try walking on it."

"Is that a good idea?" Neville asked.

"Stay nearby," Hannah said with a hopeful smile. Feeling uneasy Neville let Demelza put some weight on her foot as she tried to walk. She winced and walked slowly but she was able to move.

"What did you do?" Demelza asked.

"It's a spell I learned. It makes things lighter."

"And she doesn't put as much weight on the leg," Neville realized. "That's brilliant."

Hannah looked away. Was it his imagination or did she blush? "It just seemed like a good use for it."

"Thank you so much." Demelza threw her arms around Hannah in a hug. "This is the first good thing to happen since last night."

"Right. Well, I'll see you at lunch." Hannah gave Neville a quick hug before heading back to her table.

"So what's all that about?" Seamus asked when he sat back down.

"With Hannah?" Now Neville knew he was the one blushing. "I don't know." Which was true. But he was pretty sure he liked it.

.

Neville had a hard time reading Ginny's emotions the rest of the day. She seemed angry most of the time, but at others she seemed sad. Neville supposed she was blaming herself for what happened, but these things were going to happen. None of them seemed too bad, though. Demelza was the worst of them and Neville figured that Madam Pomfrey would have her walking fine at the end of the week.

He was jealous of Seamus, getting to sit out both the Carrows' classes. He wished he knew how to get under their skin. He could make Alecto angry enough to give him a week's worth of detention, but nothing more than that. Seamus really hit a sore spot somehow.

Ginny came up to him after class. "Neville, can we talk?"

"Sure." He followed Ginny but she didn't walk back to Gryffindor Tower. She led Neville to some of the lesser used corridors near the kitchens and didn't stop till they couldn't hear any voices echoing down the corridor. "Ginny, what's up?"

"Neville." She looked at the wall, kind of kicking her feet as she walked. "I've been thinking about last night."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think it was coincidence," she said. "I think we might have been ratted out."

"What?" Neville felt lightheaded. "You mean… someone told… someone told the Carrows we…"

"Yes." He voice was flat and something in her eyes looked dead. "Someone betrayed us."

Neville felt sick. He wanted to shout at Ginny, tell her she was stupid, she was wrong, she was horrible to even suggest something like that. But it made sense. One group, even two being seen by a night patrol could be bad luck. But all four?

"Great Merlin," Neville said. "You're right, but… who?" Suddenly Neville felt even worse. If it had been someone new, one of the first-years intimidated by the Carrows, it would be one thing. But only the few people involved knew where all the groups would be, and that meant…

"I'm not sure," Ginny said. "Only a few people knew where all the groups were. Us, Seamus, the Patils, Michael, Ernie. And anyone they might have told."

"I trust all of them." Neville said.

"Well you shouldn't!" Ginny snapped. "One of them ratted us out!"

Neville again had the urge to shout at Ginny but he held his tongue. He took a deep breath and took a few steps away. His voice shook when he spoke. "Which one?"

"Michael," Ginny said. "His heart was never in it. He only wanted to spend time with me."

"He was caught." Neville argued.

"The perfect cover." Ginny insisted.

"Maybe." Neville had serious doubts. Michael had only been into Ginny at first. But lately he seemed like he seemed like he'd really gotten into it. Like he actually cared about the DA now. But no one else seemed to fit better. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I trust you," Ginny answered.

"No, what I meant was, why only me? Why not wait till we're back at the Tower with Seamus?"

"Neville…" Ginny began.

"You don't trust him?"

"I don't know!" Ginny shouted. "He's been so different since they caught him! Who knows what they did to him?"

"You just said you thought it was Michael!"

"I think it's Michael, but I don't know! None of it makes sense!"

"Seamus wouldn't do that. He wouldn't give us up!" Ginny opened her mouth but Neville kept talking, but calmly now. "No, Ginny. I don't want to hear it. I trust him." He stormed off angrily leaving Ginny behind.

.

He didn't talk to anyone until dinner that night. Ginny sat with Parvati and Demelza; Neville sat further down the table, mostly alone until Seamus joined him. Ginny met Neville's eyes for a moment as Seamus sat down, seeming to plead with him. Neville looked away.

"How come you're sitting down here?" Seamus asked.

"Just got a lot on my mind," Neville answered.

"Oh?" Seamus raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Neville took another bite of food while he considered. He looked over Seamus, thinking back to his conversation with Ginny.

"My gran." He felt sick inside but the lie came easy. "Haven't heard from her in a while and I'm starting to worry."

"Don't," Seamus said. "I'm sure she's fine. What would You-Know-Who want with an old lady, yeah?"

Neville forced a smile. "My gran can be pretty tough. But you're probably right."

.

Ginny fell in with Neville as they walked back to the Tower. "Did you tell him?"

"No." They walked in silence without looking at each other. "I just… he's been so different."

"I don't think it's him," Ginny said. "I don't. But we need to be safe." Ginny reached out and squeezed his hand.

Neville looked over at her and squeezed back. "Yeah."

"We should lay off meeting for a while," Ginny said. "Till the end of the week at least. It'll give everyone time to recover. And we need some time to think."

.

The rest of the week went by without incident. Demelza and the others continued to recover, physically at least. Parvati had Lavender and they both fed off each other's natural optimism. Seamus and Demelza still talked but he seemed to have lost his interest in her.

Neville got a detention from Amycus when he refused to write as essay comparing the merits of Voldemort and Grindelwald, as did most of the DA. The Carrows seemed to have a gotten a little rusty over the break and it wasn't really all that bad. Hannah was there too, though, and it was hard to see her go up.

"Taste," she said to him in the hall. "Definitely lost my taste."

"Smell." Neville inhaled deeply through his nose "Yeah, sure did." He shrugged. "Not so bad though. Just takes some of the fun out of eating."

"It can make Slughorn's class a challenge. I kept having to smell Ernie's potion one day to make sure it was right." She made a face. "But I think sight would be the worst. I'd never know where I was or what was going on."

"I know. I've been lucky so far, but I figure it's only a matter of time." Ginny and Ernie came out after that and they parted ways to their respective common rooms.

.

Snape made an announcement that Saturday during lunch.

"Due to the fact that many of the perpetrators of last weeks seditious activity were not caught, I will be conducting personal interrogation of those of both known and suspected involvement. If you find yourself called to my office, do not keep me waiting." A low rumble of voices rose as soon as Snape left the Great Hall.

"That's no good," Seamus said.

"No," Neville said. "But I don't think anyone's going to rat us out."

"Hope not." Seamus sounded worried. "It can get pretty scary. In there alone, just you and him."

"We need to have a meeting," Ginny said. She pulled out her DA coin under the table and began writing. Neville moved closer to her to block the view. Seamus craned over from the other side of the table but couldn't tell what she was doing.

"What, right now?" he said. "Under the table?"

"Tonight," Ginny said. "I need to get some books."

"Need any help?" Seamus offered.

"No, I'm fine." She stood up, pocketing the coin. "Won't be long. See you at the Tower."

.

Ginny wound up staying in the library till curfew. Neville noted she wouldn't actually say what she'd been doing; when asked she'd make some equivocation and change the subject.

They stayed up late talking. They tried to tune in to Potterwatch, but only got a brief message from Lee saying they weren't in a safe place and the password for the next day. Most of the other students went to bed early. Neville himself was heading up to bed when Ginny grabbed his arm.

"Meet me back here in an hour," she whispered. Neville nodded in response.

Seamus went to bed right away; Neville heard him snoring lightly after only a few minutes. That was good; he'd been having trouble sleeping since he came back and had been trying to go to bed early. Neville didn't blame him but he missed talking to Seamus before he went to sleep.

The hour passed slowly with Neville practically counting the seconds. He would have tried to nap but he had no way of waking himself up on time. He drew back the curtain on his bed in case Seamus woke up; he had the feeling Ginny didn't want Seamus to know they were meeting. It still made him feel sick, but he felt it was better to be safe for now.

Ginny was sitting in one of the squashy armchairs by the fire. She tossed another log on the fire as Neville sat down.

"So what's going on?" Neville asked. "Did you… did you find out who…"

"No." Ginny stared into the fire for a moment. "I found something useful though. Remember how Snape said he was going to interrogate everyone?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"I'm sure he's going to use Veritaserum. It's the only way he can be sure."

"Right. So what can we do? Is there any way to resist it? A counter potion?"

"You can train yourself to resist it, but it takes a lot of practice," Ginny said, "which we don't have time for. As far as counter potions, there's none that we could make without attracting attention. But we do have one other option."

"What's that?"

"Veritaserum is made with lacefly wings," Ginny explained. "Male lacefly wings. The male wings are indistinguishable to the eye from females ones, and if you use female wings when making the potion it's harmless. It does nothing."

"I see," Neville said. "So where can we get female lacefly wings?"

"Slughorn probably has some in storage. We can just switch the containers and no one will notice."

"That would be good," Neville agreed. Snape usually kept his storage room locked tight, but Neville suspected Slughorn would be much less careful.

"Alright then. Let's go."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now." Ginny reached to the floor beside her and tossed something at Neville. An invisibility cloak. "We don't know when they're going to make the potion. It could be tomorrow. We need to do it now." Ginny stood up and pulled on her cloak. Neville sighed and did the same.

They walked slowly toward the dungeons. They stayed as close together as they would without bumping into each other or stepping on each others' cloaks. The patrols were out but they had no trouble avoiding them. Ginny quietly unlocked the door to Slughorn's classroom.

"Lock the door," Ginny said, taking off her cloak. Neville locked the door and cast a light while Ginny went to the back storeroom. Slughorn had both types of lacefly wings sitting right next to each other on a shelf. They took out to his desk, dumped them out and switched them out and took them back. Neville's heart was pounding the whole time but it took less than a minute. Ginny had just locked the storeroom back when they heard voices outside.

"…necessary to make it tonight." Slughorn's voice, undoubtedly. "If you want it ready the end of the week then I can make it in the morning and it will be fine."

"It must be tonight. Open the door." That was Snape. Ginny and Neville just managed to throw on their invisibility cloaks and press against the wall when the door opened.

Snape walked in first and lit the wall sconces with a wave of his hand. Neville felt incredibly exposed but Snape didn't so much as glace his way. Slughorn and Amycus Carrow filed in after him.

"Very well then," Slughorn relented under the glare of the other two. "I'll get the components. Let me just find my key…" Slughorn began fumbling around in his pockets.

"I'll do it," Snape said with a snort. "I sometimes think I'm the only capable person in his school. _Alohamora!_" The lock on the storeroom clicked open. Snape came out a moment carrying the lacefly wings, among other things. He set them all down and started measuring them out. He paused for a moment at the lacefly wings. He took one in between his thumb and forefinger and held it up to the light.

"Something wrong?" Amycus inquired.

"No." Snape put the wing back into the pile and continued measuring. He finished everything up and put them into separate satchels. "I'll make it in my chamber. We'll worry about the order later." He strode off without waiting for the other two. Amycus strode after him. Slughorn sighed to himself as he put out the wall sconces and locked the door behind him.

Neville and Ginny both uttered audible sighs of relief as the door closed and took off their invisibility cloaks. They looked at each other. They were both huddled against the wall, trying to make themselves look as small as possible.

Neville giggled. He didn't know why, but something about the way Ginny looked made him laugh. Neville must have looked similar because Ginny started giggling too. The giggles turned to outright laughter and neither one could stop. It took them a full ten minutes to calm down so they could head back to the Tower.

.

Ginny called a brief DA meeting the next morning. She told everyone not to worry about the interrogations that were to come. She assigned people to cover for each other so everyone would have a consistent alibi.

She wanted to wrap the meeting up early and get out; she was hoping to finish up before anyone could ask about what had happened the night before. She was wrapping things up when Padma spoke up.

"Do we know what happened the other night?" Ginny slumped slightly at the question. Neville knew they would have to deal with that question eventually, but they had hoped to put it off till they had something like answer. The students were all whispering to each other, wondering what Ginny would say.

"We don't know," Ginny said. "It seems like too much to be coincidence but as to what actually happened? I'm still stumped." The faces around the room dropped somewhat; they had clearly been hoping Ginny had some kind of answer.

Michael cleared his throat. "Maybe…" He trailed off when he realized everyone was looking at him but Anthony and Terry egged him on. "Maybe they have some kind of magical detection device? They could have detected the charms put on the paint or something?"

Ginny stared at Michael for a moment and nodded. "Maybe. Keep your ears open for ears open for anything else about it and we'll keep working on it."

With that the meeting ended. The students hung around and talked amongst themselves. Ginny met Neville's eyes and then glanced at Michael. He understood. Their prime suspect had just conveniently come up with another theory.

"Hey, Neville." He was pulled from his thoughts by Hannah's voice.

"Hey, Hannah. How are you?"

"I've been alright," she said. "Still just really freaked out about what happened."

"Me too," Neville admitted. "Ginny and I just barely got away and it took us half the night to get back to the Tower."

"That must have been terrible."

Neville shrugged. "It could have been worse. Pretty nerve wracking though."

"Do you guys have any idea about what happened?"

Neville had a dilemma. He trusted Hannah, but he's promised Ginny that he wouldn't mention her suspicions to anyone, not even Seamus or Hannah, and he decided to stick to his words.

"Not really. Michael's theory sounded good, but who knows?" He shrugged.

"Well, you guys will figure it out." Hannah smiled brightly. "You always do."

"_We usually have Harry,"_ Neville thought, but Hannah's smile was infectious and he soon felt much better as they continued to talk about their classes while the other students began to trickle away. Hannah soon took her leave with Ernie, leaving Seamus and Neville in the room alone.

"Ready to go?" Seamus asked.

"Yeah. Let's head back to the room."

"What do you think of Michael's theory?" Seamus asked out in the hall.

"I'm not sure." Neville hated lying to Seamus even more than Hannah, but he'd made a promise. "It makes sense, I just don't know how likely it is. They're not good at keeping secrets like that. I don't think Alecto ever thinks before she talks."

"Ha, yeah," Seamus agreed. "So is something going on with you and Hannah? Did I miss it while I was away?"

"No, not really." Neville felt his face grow warm. "We've just been talking a lot."

"Alright then," Seamus said. "I think it's time for you to let me have a shot then."

Neville furrowed his brow and looked at Seamus. "What are you talking about?"

"You had your chance to move on Hannah and you haven't done anything all year. We're friends and you were into her so I held back. But if you're not going to make a move I'm not going to wait around." He looked away for a moment. "You never know what's going to happen."

"What?" It suddenly hit him. "You're in to Hannah?"

"Yes. And now it's my turn to have a go," he said a little hotly, as though he was annoyed at having to repeat himself.

"You… What? You never said anything before. What about Demelza?"

"I wanted you to have a chance, but I can't wait anymore. I got locked up all weekend. I didn't know if they were ever going to let me out. I can't just wait on things I want anymore, even for you."

"Seamus, I…"

"Look, just back off from Hannah."

He left Neville standing in the hall, unsure of what to say or do.


	19. Chapter 19: Betrayal

**Chapter Nineteen: Betrayal**

Seamus didn't bring up Hannah again, though Neville did see them talking a little more often. Neville wasn't sure what to do. Between DA, classes, and detention Neville hadn't had the chance to really talk to Hannah. He wasn't sure what he would do when he did have the opportunity. Seamus was a good friend and had done a lot for him, but he felt like Seamus had no right to ask for something like that.

Neville had been one of the first called for the interrogations, right after Ginny and Seamus. He was incredibly nervous about it. He hated being in the Great Hall at the same time as Snape, never mind alone in a small room. Yet when word came during breakfast one Sunday that he was up for questioning he somehow made his feet carry him to the empty classroom Snape had set cleaned out for the questioning. There was no one waiting outside the room; Snape had no need for guards. Neville opened the door and managed to step through.

The room was empty except for two desks right in the middle of the room. Snape sat in one of them; the other had a small cup sitting on top of it.

"Sit, Longbottom," Snape commanded. Half of Neville wanted to stay rooted to the spot while the other half tried to run to follow Snape's order. Neville overcame both of these instincts and walked slowly over to the desk. "Drink." Snape pointed to the cup once Neville sat down. Neville took the cup and swallowed it down in one gulp. It tasted a little sour, as Ginny warned it would, but beyond that it was fine. Now Neville just had to hope he didn't say something stupid without having any Veritaserum to blame.

"Now," Snape began a few minutes later, once the Veritaserum would have had time to set in, "tell me what you know about the incident a few nights ago."

"Which incident?" Neville asked.

"You know what I refer to," Snape said. Neville had a chill go down his spine. He'd heard Snape was a good Legilemens and wondered if he would know if Snape was reading his mind. "The incident when several students were captured in the night engaging in disruptive activity."

"Oh. That." Neville cleared his throat. "No, Professor. I slept all night."

"Hmph." Snape stared at Neville for a long while. Neville was sure he was trying to use Legilemency. Neville tried to remember the little Occlumency that McGonagall had managed to teach him but his mind came up blank. He would later recall this was the very technique he was trying to remember. "Fine," Snape said. "Be on your way. I may call on you later." Neville managed to keep from running to the door and held his sigh of relief until he was outside. He leaned against the wall and caught his breath. He was sweating and his knees felt weak, but it was over. He hoped he never had to be alone with Snape again.

Once the interrogations were over Ginny had another private council with Neville. She expressed concern about the interrogations. No one ratted them out but every single DA member was questioned, even the newer ones.

"There must be a traitor. How else could he know them all?" Ginny pondered.

"It could just be luck. I mean, he probably just has a good sense of who it is. He just hasn't been able to prove it," Neville pointed out. "He knows who the people he caught last week are friends with. He could have, you know, used that."

"If it was most of them I could go for it. But it was everyone."

"He questioned a few people who weren't involved at all. Like Zacharias Smith."

"Yes," Ginny agreed, "but that could be some kind of weak smoke screen. He questioned people who only joined since the winter break."

Ginny had taken steps to protect them from the possibility of a traitor. She stopped having so many meetings in the Room of Requirement. As far as they knew it hadn't been discovered. They hadn't been interrupted during any meetings, nor did the nightly patrols seem to pay that area any special mind. But still, Ginny tried to have meetings during the day and only as few as necessary.

She also had another reason for not wanting them all in one place: she didn't want a repeat of last time. The traitor, assuming there was one (as Neville pointed out every time she brought it up) wouldn't be allowed to set them all up again. She met with people in small groups, only telling them what they needed to do and not letting people from other groups know what everyone else was doing.

They had also begun using invisibility cloaks during some missions. Michael had called her out about them one meeting, saying it would be much safer to use them. Neville knew Ginny was concerned about losing them, but Neville pointed out that that they weren't doing any good stuffed in the bottom of their trunks.

And so the DA began to get back on its feet. There were no more ambushes in the night and, thanks to the cloaks, there weren't even very many close calls.

.

"I really don't trust Michael," Ginny said for what must have been the hundredth time. "His idea about the Magic Detector doesn't hold up anymore. No one's even been close to being caught since we made the assignments private." She sneered a little "And started using the cloaks."

"It doesn't mean it's him," Neville insisted. "Or even that there is one. They could have just been really lucky that one night. Michael hasn't mentioned the Magic Detector thing again either."

"Well of course, he realized it didn't make any sense. If we worked it out, he did too." Her face softened. "You're right, though. It seems like we should have seen something."

They arrived at the DA meeting close to last, which was unusual for them. The other members were standing around the room talking or thumbing through books. Neville felt awkward when he saw Seamus talking to Hannah; she was laughing at something he was saying. Neville hadn't stopped talking to her either, exactly, but he hadn't really had the chance for a real conversation, and none where Seamus would actually see him. So, now he had to choose.

Ginny took her place in the front of the room and the students began to gather around. Neville stood next to her and they were soon joined by Seamus.

"We're getting back on our feet," she began, "and I think we're almost there. We had some setbacks, but we rebounded and I think we're almost as strong as we ever were.

"We've been sticking to minor activities for now, but we have something major coming. We're going to slow down things for this week so we can prepare. But after that, be ready for something big."

"What's it going to be?" Terry Boot asked.

"I haven't worked out all the details yet," Ginny admitted, "but many of you will be a part of it." That seemed to satisfy most of them and the official part of the meeting concluded. Most of the students stayed around, however. Some worked on spells in the back of the room but most just milled about, talking amongst themselves. Ginny left quickly, probably hoping to avoid more questions. Seamus was talking with Michael and Anthony when Hannah broke away from Ernie to come talk to him.

"Hello," she greeted. "Very mysterious meeting."

"Yeah, it was," Neville agreed. "She has her reasons." He shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "So what were you and Seamus talking about earlier?"

"Nothing, really," Hannah said. "Just made some jokes about what the meeting might be about. Most of them weren't very good." Her brow furrowed. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, um." Neville suddenly felt the blood rush to his head. His hands became sweaty and he couldn't seem to find words. "Seamus said… he was just… he said he likes… well, I was just wondering if you…" He trailed off for a moment and cleared his throat. "He told me not to talk to you."

"Did he?" Hannah raised an eyebrow, but Neville detected some anger in her voice. "I'm glad you didn't listen to him." She looked over at him, still talking with the Ravenclaws. "As for my interest in Seamus…" Hannah pulled Neville's face toward hers and kissed him right on the lips. Once Neville got over initial surprised he realized how nice it was and tried to kiss back, pulling her body tight against his.

Hannah broke the kiss after what seemed like half an hour but was probably wasn't even half a minute. Most of the room had gone silent, staring at them. Neville thought he was blushing and he could see that Hannah was as well.

"Would you mind walking me back?" Hannah asked quietly. "This is really awkward."

"Yeah, sounds good." Hannah took his hand and they left the Room of Requirement together. Neville realized two people were still staring at them. Ernie looking surprised but he was smiling. Seamus, however, just glowered as walked past, not saying a word.

"Seamus seems angry," Hannah said outside.

"I thought that was the point."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "It's unusual for him, isn't it?"

Neville shrugged. "He's got something of a temper, but I've never seen him like this. Whatever they did really messed him up."

"Do you know what they did?"

Neville shook his head. "He doesn't talk about it. I'm not sure I really want to know." Hannah squeezed his hand and he felt a little better.

.

Neville ran in to Ernie on the way back from the common room. Literally. He and Hannah had kissed again before she went inside and he was still in something of a daze when he nearly knocked Ernie over.

"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry," Neville said, catching Ernie's arm.

"Quite all right," Ernie said, righting himself. "No harm done. And I wanted to talk with you a moment anyway."

"Oh, sure," Neville said, stomach clenching.

"I… saw you and Hannah back there," he began. "I just wanted you to know that I approve. I think you're decent, and you'll make Hannah happy." Ernie extended a hand, which Hannah shook. "She's like a sister to me. I often feel I should watch out for her, even though she does not really need it."

"That's still good of you."

"Thank you." They shook hands again and went on their separate ways. Ernie stopped and turned back to Neville. "You've changed since I first met you. I do not think I would have approved two years ago. Perhaps not even at the beginning of this year."

"Thanks." Neville wasn't sure what else to say, so he just smiled and went on his way.

Kissing Hannah was better than he'd imagined. He's thought about it before, of course, but he'd never actually kissed a girl before then. He finally understood what the big deal was.

Seamus though… he had no idea what was going to happen with that. But Neville decided he didn't care. Well, he cared, but he wasn't going to let Seamus dictate his life. Hanna had chosen him. He didn't know how Seamus would react but he would have to get over it. Maybe he could talk to Ginny when he got back. He could at least get everything off his chest if nothing else.

He saw no sign of Seamus when he got back to the common room. Ginny was sitting off in a corner looking over a book, holding a Galleon.

"Hey, Ginny, what's up?"

She looked up from her book. "Trying to figure out the Protean Charm. We've been running low since Luna…" she trailed off. "Did anything happen after I left? I just wanted to get out before Michael asked any more questions."

"Well, yes," Neville admitted. He sat down and leaned over so he wouldn't have to speak too loud. He intended to only tell her about the kiss but wound up spilling everything, from Seamus's odd demand and even finished up with Ernie's blessing.

"Neville, I'm s happy for you!" Ginny was smiling broadly, sounding more girly than usual. "She's a really sweet girl. I think you'll do well together."

"Thanks." He was pretty sure he was blushing again. Were he and Hannah really "together" now? He wasn't sure. "I'm still worried about Seamus though."

"He never really struck me as the jealous type," Ginny commented. "But I don't really know him that well."

"I guess not." You might think after sharing a room with someone for seven years you'd have a better sense of them but Neville and Seamus had never really spent much time together before this year.

"We'll give Seamus some time to get over it. I guess he's entitled to be a little annoyed. I'll talk to him if becomes a problem. For now, though," she looked around for a moment "I want to talk about our next mission."

"They're missions, now?" Neville said with a grin.

"It's the best word," Ginny insisted. "Anyway, here's the plan. It's going to involve the whole DA. Well, most of them anyway."

"So you trust them, then?"

"Not entirely," Ginny said. "Something unusual happened that night, and until we have proof of a better idea we're going to play it safe." Neville had nothing to say so he just shrugged. "But this is something we can't do alone."

"So what is the plan?" Neville leaned closer.

"We're going to destroy the Desensulator." Ginny began to speak faster, her eyes lighting up. "It's a symbol of their power. It lets them have control over us even when they're not there. It's the one thing they can do that we can't fight, that we can't do back."

"That sounds good, but how do we do it? Do we even know where they keep it?"

"They keep it in their quarters. I followed them after detention with the invisibility cloak one day."

"So why do we need so many people? Why don't we just have Peeves make a distraction again?"

"They might expect it. Snape's not stupid, he probably knows it's no coincidence, what happened last time. If he causes a big commotion again they may be suspicious. We need a different plan."

"So, what then?"

"Snape will be the easy one. He doesn't come out much at night anymore. Once he goes in at night I found a way to seal him in just to make sure." Neville looked into the large book Ginny pushed his way.

"_Gumsuntion Fimbleth_," Neville read "Brilliant."

"It will work on stone? I wasn't sure…"

"It'll only last a few hours, but we don't need any more than that, do we?"

"That'll do just fine. How soon can we get some?"

"A couple of days. It drains very slowly and you have to store it carefully."

"Good, good," Ginny nodded. "We also needs to lure the Carrows away, but in a way that won't arouse their suspicion. And we need to make sure they stay away long enough for us to get in to the room and find the Desensulator.

"To start with we need to target some Slytherins. Someone who'll go to the Carrows to get their help. We found a Boggart in a chest in one of the unused classrooms and I think that will do just fine. We'll let it loose near some of the younger Slytherins and they'll go to Amycus."

"And what about Alecto?"

"She'll be easy," Ginny smiled. "She'll hear a voice outside say something nasty about her. She'll chase it down, of course, but never find the source."

"Who's going to handle that?"

"That's where Peeves comes in," Ginny explained. "He'll head to one of Filch's supply closets. Somebody will Body-Bind her from behind and lock her in." Ginny paused. "Filch will find her before too long, sadly."

"Sounds like a good plan, Ginny," Neville said. "You've gotten good at this."

"Thanks." Neville thought she might have turned a little red. "I almost forgot, keep all the details to yourself. I still don't want anyone else to know about it." She took a deep breath. "If there is a rat, he won't get all of us. And if there isn't, and it goes amiss they probably won't realize what we're up to and we can try again."

"Alright. So when do we start?"

"How soon can you get that sap again?"

.

"You don't need very much. Just a thin layer around the doorway," Neville said as he handed the sap to Michael Corner. "Be careful not to get any on yourself and work quickly. It'll dry pretty fast once the jar is opened."

"Got it," Michael said. His group would be sealing Snape into his quarter. He was still Ginny's prime suspect so she gave him the least essential task. Snape rarely left his office anyway and even if he caught wind it would all be over before he got there.

"Good luck," Seamus said. Ginny had chosen herself, Ginny, and Seamus to break in to the Carrows room. Even with the rift between Neville and Seamus he was still the best person for the job. Even so Ginny had been vague about what the other groups were doing when talking to him.

"It's time," Ginny said. The other groups had already left; they were just waiting to make sure everything had gotten rolling by the time they got there. They left the Room of Requirement together, walking quickly. They had to take a very indirect route to ensure they wouldn't run to Amycus or Alecto chasing after their distractions. In that, they were successful, but they still ran in to Theodore Nott.

"Well, where are you all going so fast?" Nott asked almost casually. "Surely none of you have anywhere important to be, do you?"

"Shove off, Nott," Seamus said angrily.

"Cool down, Finnigan," Not smirked. "I have more important things to do that chat it up with you lot." He turned away and walked up the stairs.

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. "That could have been bad." Neville realized he'd been holding his breath too.

"Let's go," Seamus said.

They arrived just as Peeves started drawing Alecto out.

"What's wrong? Can't come out and discipline me without your brother's permission? Aww."

Peeves must have heard something because he skittered off. Alecto threw open the door a moment later. Peeves voice came from further down the hall and Alecto chased after it. She didn't even bother to close the door behind her.

Three of them gathered next to the door just outside the line of sigh. Ginny motioned to Seamus "Make sure Amycus left too," she said. Neville couldn't imagine that Amycus would have let Alecto run off like that if he'd been there but it wouldn't hurt to check.

"All clear," Seamus said.

"Get the door," Ginny whispered to Neville as they went through. He closed the door behind them as he came through and nearly bumped in to Ginny as he turned around.

"Ginny, what-" his voice cut off when he looked past her. Snape and Amycus stood in the center of the room, wands at their sides.

Ginny drew her wand and Neville followed suit but Snape and Amycus were too fast. They were both pinned back against the wall, unable to move. Neville was about to try and nonverbal spell when Seamus plucked both their wands from their frozen hands.

"Well, what have we here?" Amycus slowly walked over to them, his face an inch from Ginny's. "A few rats trying to sneak in to my room? Steal my Desensulator?" Amycus shook his head. "How fortunate that Mr. Finnigan thought to inform us of your little plan." Amycus laid a hang on Seamus's shoulder. Seamus flinched away from it but Amycus didn't seem to notice.

"Why?" Neville managed to say.

"You did it to me first," Seamus said. "I told you to back off from Hannah."

"Hannah?" Ginny said. "This is about Hannah?"

"Yes," Seamus said. "No, it's," he looked away. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"I don't believe it," Neville said.

"You should."

Snape finally interjected. "Enough of your little show, Amycus." Amycus turned on Snape and almost snapped, but Snape spoke first. "Just get them out of here."

"Very well," Amycus said. "Come along." Amycus flicked his wand and Ginny and Neville were pulled off the wall and behind Amycus as he left the room.

"They're not going to hurt you," Seamus said. "Part of the deal. You'll just be locked up all weekend."

Neville almost wished he could say he felt relieved.


	20. Chapter 20: Dark Rooms

**Chapter Twenty: Dark Rooms**

The weekend had gone slowly. Ginny and Neville had been locked in a small room with barely enough room for them to stretch out. There were no beds and their food was usually stale but they had been bed. And true to Seamus's word they hadn't really been hurt. Alecto had roughed them up a little as she'd locked them up but beyond that they had been left alone.

Amycus deposited them in the Great Hall on Monday morning during breakfast. Hannah ran up to him and kissed him again in front of the whole hall. Neville didn't care what anyone watching might have thought, least of all Seamus.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm ok," Neville said, leaning his forehead against hers. "They didn't hurt us or anything."

"Really?" Hannah smiled a little.

"Really." Neville smiled back. They squeezed hands before going back to their respective tables.

.

On the way out of the Great Hall Neville was accosted by Draco Malfoy and his gang. Neville tried to walk past but Malfoy grabbed him.

"What do you want?" Neville asked.

"That's really no way to talk to the Head Boy," Malfoy said. He was brandishing the badge on his chest today. He only wore it when he felt like showing off… which was fairly often. Neville made no response which seemed to annoy him. "Fine. I'll need your Prefect badge."

"What?"

"You didn't really think they'd let you stay Prefect after what you did?" Malfoy's smile seemed to somehow grow wider. "You barely did anything anyway. Now give it here."

Neville wanted to punch Malfoy right then and there but thought better of it for a number of reasons. Instead he reached into his robe pocket where he kept his Prefect badge when he wasn't officially on duty. He wanted to look the badge over for another moment but Malfoy snatched it away as soon as he had it out. Neville reached after it feebly which brought a wave of laughter from the collected Slytherins. Neville shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

.

DA activity screeched to a halt the following week. No one was sure what exactly to do; no one knew how much Seamus had divulged. No one else had been taken in for any kind of questioning or given an unusual number of detentions. It didn't seem like Seamus had ratted anyone else out. The Room of Requirement might not be safe, however; no one was really sure how it worked. If they specifically needed the Room to keep Seamus out, could it? Ginny was hesitant to go back there till they could find some way to test it.

Neville had been avoiding talking about Seamus as much as possible. If anyone asked what happened he told them, but beyond that he tried not to. He was thinking, though, about what could have happened. It just felt wrong and his mind had been going at a million miles an hour trying to figure out what was happening. Toward the end of the week when he and Ginny were walking back to the Tower he finally brought the subject up.

"What do you think about Seamus?" he asked.

For a while Ginny just walked along, looking at the ground and saying nothing. "This isn't going to help."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Trying to make sense of what Seamus did. It's not going to help and you'll just upset yourself more if you try."

"Why are you talking like that?" Neville felt himself getting a little angry. "He's our friend and he wouldn't turn on us like that. He wouldn't."

"You think I haven't already been down that path?" Ginny sounded sad. "It's not the Imperious Curse. You can tell when someone's under it. It's not Polyjuice. We've seen him with Amycus, Snape, Alecto, and Draco. Even Nott and Pansy. No one else could pull it off."

"It could…"

Could be what? Neville supposed there might be some other explanation, but it would likely require magic far beyond Amycus or Alecto. Snape could probably pull something more advanced off, but he probably had more important things to do than impersonate students.

"Listen, Neville," Ginny said. "Sometimes the people you trust most abandon you. They leave with barely a word and that's that. Maybe it's your family or your friends or…" she trailed off. "It's just the way it is sometimes." Ginny started walking faster not giving Neville the chance to reply. She didn't need to; he didn't have anything to say.

.

Ginny and Neville met with the Patils in the library one evening to discuss the situation about the Room of Requirement.

"What do we know about it?" Ginny asked. "Draco at least should have remembered where it was from last year but we've never had a meeting interrupted."

"Yes," Padma agreed, "but that area's not patrolled any heavier than anywhere else. Either he's forgotten where it is or it didn't occur to him that we're using it."

"And that doesn't apply to Seamus," Ginny said. She let out a sigh. "It's possible he still couldn't get in though, right?"

Padma shook her head. "We just don't know. We can probably find some way to check. Seamus still has his DA coin, doesn't he? We could plant a false message."

Ginny nodded. "That's good. But what if we need a new place to meet? Could we use one of the common rooms, do you think?"

Parvati vetoed this. "We can't trust everyone. Even if we did it late at night someone might notice."

"What about the dungeons?" Neville asked. "Plenty of unused rooms down there and there are some that are pretty cut off."

Ginny considered it. "They're cut off from most of the school but the Slytherin common room is right in there. It could be risky."

"Right," Neville said.

"It might be worth a shot," Parvati said. "The only other places that are cut off like that are the towers and a few places near the kitchens. And I don't think we can trust the House-elves."

"We could ask the teachers," Padma suggested. "Flitwick and McGonagall know the school better than anyone. If anyone would know a safe place, one of them would."

Neville liked the idea but Ginny hesitated. "What?" he asked. "Don't you trust them?"

"It's hard, after what happened with Seamus," Ginny said. "We'll look around ourselves and see if we can't find anything." Neville thought Ginny was overreacting a bit, but the fact that she brought the Patils in reassured him. She would get over it, at least enough to function properly.

Following the meeting they are went their separate ways. Ginny and the Patils went back to their respective towers but Neville felt like doing a little walking. He needed some time to think. About what he wasn't sure but he just didn't feel like sitting up in the tower just yet. It was warm enough to walk outside for a while so he started for the Entrance Hall.

He ran in to Ernie along the way, who wanted to know if there were going to be any DA meetings soon. Neville shook his head. "We're taking it slow. We're still reeling from… from what happened and we don't know how much they know. We need to play it safe."

"Of course," Ernie said. "It just frustrates me. After what he did I want to strike back! I want to do something!" He didn't think he'd seen Ernie angry before and found it very unsettling. "Ah, but I'm sure you want it even more than I."

"We do," Neville said. "I'll see you later."

That wasn't really true though. Neville didn't want revenge. In spite of his conversation with Ginny he still believed something was going on with Seamus. Maybe there were other spells that could control people's mind. Maybe it was some kind of illusion and the real Seamus was locked up somewhere. When was the last time he'd physically touched Seamus? He couldn't remember.

The bathroom door opened in front of him and Seamus stepped out. Neville almost froze in his tracks but then he made a split second decision.

"Why'd you do it?" Neville demanded.

Seamus turned to him but it was a long moment before he replied. "I told you."

"I don't believe it," Neville said. "You never showed any interest in Hannah before and you've barely spoke to her since. What's happening, Seamus? It wasn't Hannah. What did they do to you?"

Seamus smiled a sad smile but it was not without warmth. "They didn't do anything besides what I told you Neville. But you're right. It wasn't really about Hannah. I mean, she was part of it, but… the things they did to me in there, it made me realize something. They're willing to do thing we aren't to win. And we're just kids, not real threats. I don't even want to think about what they'd do someone they thought of as an actual enemy." Seamus shuddered. "I don't want to be on the losing side. I'm not going to throw my life away for no reason."

"We always knew they were brutal," Neville said.

"We never experienced it firsthand. Not really. They're just playing with us in Detention, Neville. When they had me in there, I thought they would kill me." Seamus pursed his lips. "And it was the only way they'd let me out."

"What?"

"They said they wouldn't let me go unless I gave you and Ginny up."

"Then why'd you make up that story about Hannah?"

"I didn't make it up," Seamus insisted. "But I guess I wanted to seem like less of a wimp with that version. Worked out much better for me."

Neville had nothing to say to that and Seamus walked away.

.

He met with Ginny and the Patils the next day during lunch. Madam Pince was sitting at her desk, her nose in a large book with a blank cover. They were sitting as far away from her desk at they could manage.

"We have an idea," Ginny said softly. "It's not the best solution, but it might do. For a while anyway."

"What is it?" Neville answered.

"You know how Filch is always wishing he could still chain students up?" Parvati asked. "Well it turns out there used to be a room where that all happened."

"Used to be?" Neville raised an eyebrow.

"It was locked up when Professor Dippet took over," Padma explained, "but the room is still there. It's not too far from the Potions classroom."

"Wouldn't that be close to the Slytherin Common Room?" Neville asked.

"I was kind of wondering about that," Ginny agreed.

"That's the best part," Padma said excitedly. "The room is totally sound proof. So no one would hear the screams I guess."

"Lovely thought," Ginny said. "But it works for us. We'll need to test it out and make sure it still works."

"How big is it?" Neville asked. "I mean, will we all fit?"

"We're not sure. It might be pretty small," Padma said. "Won't know till we get there."

"I was thinking we might cut back a little anyway. Have some smaller meetings," Ginny said. "Only the people who were in it with Harry."

"Alright," Neville said. That wasn't too many. Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Michael, Terry, Anthony… "What about Demelza?"

"Soon," Ginny said. "I'm not sure how she's taking everything that's been going on with Seamus. I want to give her a little more time." Neville did agree. She'd put on a good face, but coupled with the fact that Seamus had been practically ignoring her and his betrayal, she had taken it just as hard as Ginny and himself. She hadn't been a mess, exactly, but she'd definitely been shaken. Neville definitely wouldn't mind waiting until they had a better sense of her condition.

"Alright. When do we check this place out?"

.

Ginny and Neville left the tower shortly after eleven. They were hoping to be back by midnight and still get in a good night's sleep. They went under the cover of their invisibility cloaks.

The Patils, also disguised, were waiting for them outside the room. They were mostly covered by their cloaks with only their faces showing, lest they needed to hide from a night patrol. Once they were sure the hall was clear Ginny unlocked the door and she and Neville went inside. The room was dark but there were torches along the wall that they could light and it seemed big enough for about ten people to work comfortably. Not ideal, but it would probably do.

"So now what?" Neville asked.

"We make some noise," Ginny said.

"I mean… do we just scream or something?"

"I guess."

A few moments passed as they exchanged awkward looks.

"Well?" Ginny asked.

Neville gave her a look. "What, I'm supposed to start?"

"Why not?"

"It's weird, isn't it? Just screaming into an empty room?"

"It's not _that _weird."

"Then you do it."

"Fine." Ginny cleared her throat, glanced at Neville then looked at the wall.

The door opened and they both tensed up but no one came though. "We can't hear a thing!" Padma's voice said. "I think it's working!"

"Er, yeah," Neville managed.

"We're going to try a little more," Ginny added. "Just to be sure."

"Alright. We'll be out here."

They finally agreed to both scream on the count of three. They both screamed at the top of their lungs. Neville made the mistake of looking over at Ginny and started laughing. Ginny looked back him and started laughing back. They both collapsed against the wall.

Ginny eventually regained her composure and managed to speak. "Alright, let's-" but then she made the mistake of looking at Neville and they started laughing all over again. It was almost a full five minutes before they were able to leave the room and get the news that the Patils hadn't heard a thing. They had a new base of operations.

Author's Note: This chapter and the following one were originally one chapter. At my beta's suggestion I broke it up into two chapters to hopefully help them flow a little better. So this chapter has something of an abrupt end, but it flows directly into the next one.

Also, sorry, but there probably won't be any more back to back updates like this. But Ive graduated now and I hope to wrap this story up by the end of the summer. We'll see.


	21. Chapter 21: Easter

**Chapter Twenty-One: Easter**

Neville chose to walk back to the tower alone. He'd been a lot more nervous walking at night since everything with Seamus, but since he had the cloak he thought he'd take a longer route back.

He wasn't completely sure where he was at the start so he just walked upwards until he got to somewhere he recognized. Unfortunately he was rather near the headmaster's office.

_Thanks again, shifting stairs,_ he thought wryly. He tried to walk past quickly but slowed down when he heard voices. Thinking it was a patrol he flattened against the wall behind a suit of armor and tried not to breathe too loudly. As the voices got closer he realized it wasn't a patrol but Snape and Amycus. Soon he was able to make out what they were saying.

"…broken. Depressed. Neither of them have taken any actions toward continue their little army." That was Amycus.

"Are you quite sure?" Snape replied.

"Of course," Amycus said. "We are kept well informed."

"I hope you are right. I for one would like to be able to sleep through the night for a full week, for a change." Snape mumbled something and the stone gargoyle moved to allow him into his quarters. "You really managed to break the Finnigan boy? You're sure it's not some trick?"

Amycus chuckled. "Quite certain. And with them out of the way, none of the others have the initiative to step up." Snape turned and went into his office without another word. Amycus turned around and headed back towards his own quarters. Neville let out a shaky sigh once Amycus rounded the corner and slowly started for Gryffindor Tower.

.

"Neville! You're alright!" Ginny sprang from an armchair by the door when he came back in. "I thought you'd been caught or something."

"No, I'm fine." He took off the invisibility cloak and handed it to her. "Ginny, I heard something." He briefly recounted what Snape and Amycus had said in the hall.

"Neville, I'm sorry," Ginny said with a frown. He was glad she wasn't rubbing it in.

"It's fine. You've been telling me the same thing all weekend, I just didn't want to believe it. But now I can't pretend anymore."

"It's for the best," Ginny said carefully.

"I know." Neville looked up toward his dorm room. "I'll see you tomorrow."

.

The Easter Holiday was fast approaching. Ginny managed to get word out for a small DA meeting at the new location. She mostly wanted to make sure everyone knew where it was and to reassure them that the DA was far from over.

"So what's our new plan then?" Michael Corner asked.

"Nothing for now," Ginny said. "Easter's coming up and I don't think we have time to really get anything going."

"Nothing at all?" Michael pressed.

"I want our next thing to be something big. Or at least not something usual. We can let them think they're safe for now and come back with a bang." Michael seemed satisfied with this and relaxed back into his chair.

"Why are we meeting here?" Susan Bones asked. "Is something wrong with the Room of Requirement?"

"You've all heard about Seamus," Ginny answered. "Well, we're none of us sure how the Room really works. It might be that Seamus could only get in if he knew for sure we were in there. It might be that we can tell the Room not to admit him. We don't know enough right now so we're using this place, hopefully just for now."

That wrapped up all the questions for the meeting and so the group began to disperse. Ginny joined up with Demelza and the Patils while Neville joined Hannah and Ernie.

"Hi," Hannah greeted, getting on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "I haven't seen you too much this week."

"Yeah," Neville said, putting an arm around her waist. "We've been really busy trying to get everything under control."

"I can only imagine what you're going through," Ernie offered. "Seamus and I were friendly but not very close. I still had some words with him the other day."

"What happened?" Neville asked.

"I told him he should be ashamed of himself," Ernie said. "That he did a rotten thing and I wanted him to know it."

"You called him a 'damn foolish git,' if I remember right," Hannah said.

Neville looked at Ernie with a small sense of disbelief. "Did you really say that?"

Ernie looked embarrassed. "I may have been somewhat cruder than I intended."

Neville managed to hold back his laughter but he was very worried Ernie would see the look on his face before he composed himself. Hannah poked him in his side but she had a similar look on her face. It was nice to have something to laugh at.

"Do you have any Easter plans?" Ernie said, ready to change the subject.

"Not really. Just spending time with my Gran. Maybe some of the rest of the family. How about you?"

"I think it'll be good to see my dad again. I got a letter from him and he seems to be doing a lot better."

"That's good," Neville put in.

"I will be remaining here once again," Ernie said. Neville thought he saw a small flicker in his demeanor but it vanished when he spoke again. "My parents still insist Hogwarts is safer than the outside."

"Even after all the crazy things that happen at the end of the year?" Neville asked.

Ernie shrugged. "I suspect I may be the smartest member of my family."

Neville again had to hold back his laughter.

.

The rest of the week passed quickly. Neville was ready for the DA to get up and running again, but part of him also wanted to get away from Hogwarts. Before he knew it he was packing up his trunk for Easter. He was desperately trying to avoid doing so at the same time as Seamus; this proved to be fairly easy as Seamus didn't seem to want to be in the room with him much anyway, though he was staying.

He met up with Ginny in the common room and they started walking down together. "Do you have any plans for when we get back?" he asked.

"So many," Ginny said with a half smile. "Big stuff. I'm done with all the small stuff. I'll have them begging for mercy at the end of the year."

"Really?"

"Well, maybe not quite," Ginny admitted, "but I do want to step up the game."

"I'm with you," Neville said. "All of us are."

"Good. I'm not sure I'd be able to do it alone." She paused. "Though I'd try anyway."

They met up with Demelza at the Entrance Hall and the three of them grabbed a carriage together.

.

The ride back to London went as usual. Malfoy and Nott made fun of him for being stripped of his Prefect title in the beginning but kept to their cabins once they pulled out from Hogsmeade. After that he, Ginny, and Demelza had the cabin to themselves. They talked, laughed, read, and shared candy from the witch's cart when it came by. Yet Neville never really relaxed. After what happened last time he found it hard to really be at ease on the train anymore.

Yet the ride passed without incident and they pulled in to London just before dark. Demelza left the cabin first and Ginny held Neville back a minute.

"I just wanted to let you know that you've been a real help," she said. "You helped me kept it together after what happened with Seamus more than you know."

Neville was surprised to hear this. "I thought you were the one helping me."

Ginny smiled. "We helped each other. That's how friends work, you know."

Neville couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah. But I really think you've done more. I wouldn't have the first clue what to do without you."

"Don't sell yourself short. You've done a lot this year. Really come into your own."

"Maybe." He shrugged. Ginny punched him lightly in the arm. "Come on. Let's get back home." He followed Ginny out of the car and went to find his Gran.

"Neville! Neville, there you are!" he followed her voice and found her at the far end of the platform. She pulled him into a huge hug which he managed to return after letting go on his trunk. "I've been so worried! No one's heard anything from you. You couldn't have sent me a letter?"

"It's not that easy, Gran," Neville said sheepishly.

"Oh of course not," she said. "But still." She looked up at the clock on the wall. "It came in late this time. Hmph. Well, come on then. Let's get you home."

.

The week with Gran was a very contradictory experience. Sometimes she talked about the things she'd heard about the school and was proud because she just knew he'd been involved; other times she seemed angry with him and wanted him to keep his head down and stay safe. Neville learned that the best idea was to not let her opinion influence him. He was doing the right thing, he knew it. If Gran agreed, so much the better. But if not, well, he wouldn't let it bother him.

For the most part the weekend was pleasant but Neville was restless. Gran didn't want him leaving the house even during the day so he was cooped up almost all weekend. He tried to do some reading but all he could think about was the DA. He thought about writing to Ginny but figured that by the time his owl reached her she would already be packing to head back. So there was nothing to do but wait for the holiday to be over and eventually it was.

.

"Be careful, Neville," Gran said. She'd settled in a worried phase for most of the ride to King's Cross.

"I will," Neville said as he hauled his trunk onto the train. "I'll try to write you if I can."

"There's a good boy." He kissed Gran on the cheek and then got on the train. He tried to look for his friends, either on the train or on the station. But Luna was gone. Seamus was… still at school. Ginny should be around but somehow he missed her. He didn't actually see any of the Weasley family. Usually Mrs Weasley would wait until the train left, no matter how early her kids got there. But then, things were different now.

He finally found an unoccupied cabin when he was assailed by Michael Corner.

"Neville," Michael greeted. "Hey. Are you sitting with anyone? Is there room for us?"

"No, just me," Neville said, stepping into the room. "Well Ginny will probably want a spot."

"No problem we can squeeze her in." Michael came in, follow by Terry and Anthony.

"Have you seen her, by the way?" Neville shook his head. "No matter. We'll find her later. I did a lot of thinking over the break and I wanted to run some ideas by you."

"Oh, sure thing," Neville said. At first Neville thought listening to Michael was going to be a chore but as he talked it wasn't really that bad. Many of them seemed unfeasible but they were still fun to listen to. Neville wasn't sure the giant squid could be coaxed into fighting Snape but it was certainly fun to think about. After an hour with no signs of slowing down Neville was glad when Hannah came by and offered him the chance to visit her cabin for a while.

"I'll be right back," Neville promised. He the door closed Terry shook his head and said "Last we'll see of him for the ride."

Hannah must have heard because she laughed a little before kissing Neville. "Well, they're right you know." She took his hand. "Come on. Susan's a couple cars down."

As it turned out it took them a while to make it those few cars. Neville pulled Hannah into the first empty cabin they found, pulled down the shutter and started kissing her deeply. He'd missed her more than he realized, missed holding her and kissing her. It seemed she felt the same.

"I missed you," Neville said when they stopped for breath. Some of her hair had fallen into her eyes and she cheeks were flushed. She was beautiful.

"I missed you too," she replied. She laid her head on his shoulder and leaned against him for a while.

"How are things at home?" Neville eventually asked.

"Much better," Hannah said, pulling herself from his shoulder. "My dad seems almost like himself again."

"Good." Neville smiled. "Gran's still the same."

Hannah cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Gran can be…" he looked for the word. "Difficult. I'll tell you about it sometime."

"That's fine." She leaned forward and kissed him again.

.

They eventually did find their way into Susan's car. She tactfully declined to ask why it took Hannah so long to find Neville and they spent the rest of the ride talking about their respective breaks.

He returned to his own cabin when Hogwarts came into view in the distance. Michael and his friends had started talking about some aspect of magical history that Neville knew almost nothing about so he was able to stay out of the conversation until the train finally pulled in. He kept a sharp eye out for Ginny but saw no sign of her. Dread began to form in his stomach but he told himself that he was overreacting. Yet it was almost expected when McGonagall pulled him aside once he was in the castle.

"Mister Longbottom." McGonagall sighed heavily. "I have some unfortunate news."

"What is it?"

McGonagall looked him right in the eyes. "I thought you should know that Ginny

Weasley will not be returning to Hogwarts for the rest of the year."


	22. Chapter 22: Draco's Revenge

**Chapter Twenty One: Draco's Revenge**

"Hey Draco," Pansy greeted as he walked into the common room. "Good to-"

"Not now," Draco interrupted. He walked past her and up to his dorm. Crabbe and Goyle were still unpacking the few things they'd taken back with them for the break. "Get out," he ordered. Goyle quickly put his things down but Crabbe dragged his feet.

He had been different since his father had been hurt. They thought he wasn't going to make it for some time. He was stable now but they weren't sure how strong he would be even if he got better. Crabbe had become much angrier as a result, and therefore harder to control. He still listened to Draco most of the time, but he spent a good deal of time with Amycus Carrow as well. But after the way his Easter had gone he didn't even want to see Goyle or Pansy, let alone Crabbe. He lay down on his bed and began to think.

They'd had Potter. Everyone had been looking for him all year and they'd had him locked up in their basement. And somehow he still escaped! From right under their noses no less, helped by their former House Elf. The Dark Lord had not pleased when he'd learned that little detail. As if it was their fault. His anger had been…

Draco didn't want to think about it. He'd avoided most of it, thank Merlin. His parents had not been so fortunate. Draco counted himself lucky that everyone had forgotten he hadn't been able to identify Harry right away.

_I knew it was him though,_ Draco thought. _Even with his swollen head. I could tell. So why didn't I say?_

That question had bothered Draco since it had happened. Yet he still had no idea why he'd done it. It had only stalled thing. It just made no sense.

"Have you heard the good news?" Draco looked to see Nott standing in his doorway.

"There's good news?" Draco asked before curing himself internally. He didn't want anyone to know or suspect what had happened over the break, even Nott.

"Ginny Weasley's not here!"

Draco sat up on his bed. "What?"

"She's not here! Not going to be either!"

"What? How?"

"I don't know. Maybe she died or something. I just heard McGonagall telling Longbottom that she's not coming!"

Draco's foul thoughts were immediately dispelled. That was great news. "Without her they'll all fall apart!"

"I know. She was the only one with the stones to keep them together. Well, maybe Finnigan and Longbottom together could have, but..."

"This is great. We need to get to the Great Hall."

"Right behind you," Nott said with a malicious grin. Outside in the common room they found Goyle sitting on one of the couches; Crabbe was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Crabbe?" Draco asked. Goyle only shrugged. "Well, come on. The Weasel's gone, the rest of the year is going to be great!"

The Great Hall was crowded as usual; Draco couldn't get a clear look at the Gryffindor table a bit of doubt entered his mind. Nott wouldn't have made it up but he could have been mistaken.

Crabbe came in with Amycus Carrow. With this father still at St Mungo's his mother hadn't wanted him at home so he'd been at Hogwarts all weekend with Amycus. Draco uneasily wondered what they had been up to all weekend.

Crabbe came and sat down next to Goyle and the two of them began talking. Draco was still trying to get a look at the Gryffindor table.

"I don't see her," Nott said.

"I can't get a good look," Draco said. "Look for Longbottom. He's easier to spot and they sit together."

After a few more minutes Draco gave up and turned to his dinner. After finishing he walked over to the Gryffindor table with Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle in tow. Longbottom was sitting near the middle of the table, finishing his meal while his friends got up. Ginny Weasley was nowhere where in sight.

"So it's true!" Draco said loudly, though Longbottom didn't notice. "The Little Weasel's running scared." Longbottom turned to look now and the sullen look on his face only invigorated Draco. "She finally got some sense in her thick skull. I guess she's the only one, but she always was the brains of the operation." He saw something twitch in Longbottom's face but he still said nothing. A few of the other Gryffindors were looking on. Draco had almost been ready to let it go but now he saw an opportunity. People were watching them. If he could embarrass Longbottom now, well, he was the last of the leadership, near as Draco could tell. Breaking him down would ensure a quiet year. Not that he expected too much trouble from Longbottom anyway.

Draco walked closer to Longbottom. "Got something to say?" He looked down at Longbottom; he hadn't even stood up. "You look like you want to say something. Come on then. Out with it." Longbottom looked back at his plate, as though Draco would go away if he were ignored. "You were an idiot to count on her," Draco continued. "You can't rely on anyone but yourself." He leaned in close and spoke softly but still loud enough for others to hear. "That's why I'll always be better than you."

Neville abruptly turned to face Draco. Draco saw fire in his eyes and pulled back. Longbottom stood up out of his seat and Draco took a step back. He looked around. Where were Crabbe and Goyle?

"I'm worth _twelve_ of you, Malfoy," Neville said with a snarl. Draco suddenly became acutely aware that Longbottom was nearly twice his size. Twice his size and he wasn't really fat anymore, however much Draco might say. He began to fumble for his wand but couldn't seem to find his pocket. Longbottom grabbed for his wrist and Draco pulled away. The effort put him off balance and he fell to the floor.

All around him the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws bust out laughing. Draco's face grew hot and he tried to dig his fingers into the ground. His vision narrowed; all he could see was Longbottom, chuckling lightly. He thought he might be able to hear the voices of his friends nearby but he couldn't be sure.

"What's going on here? The crowd parted for Professor McGonagall. "Back away, let him get up."

"I don't need your help, old cow!" Draco shouted as he got to his feet.

McGonagall's mouth became a fine line. "Detention, Malfoy," she said firmly.

Draco let out a harsh laugh. "Yes. I'm sure that'll happen." Crabbe and Goyle had finally pushed their way through the crowd and helped him out.

For a split second he almost told Crabbe and Goyle to attack Longbottom anyway. They would have done it. But he held himself back. They were outnumbered by far, McGonagall was there, and direct fights weren't really his style anyway.

"Let's go," Draco said.

"Are we really running from Longbottom?" Crabbe said harshly.

"Look around. Don't be stupid," Draco snapped back.

Nott joined them just outside the door. "Seems like Longbottom might be a problem after all."

"Not much of one," Draco replied.

Nott raised an eyebrow. "You have a plan?"

"If you're willing to help me."

"Of course," Nott said with a smirk.

.

Draco simply could not believe that Longbottom, of all people, was taking up the reigns. He was certain the situation with his friend had gotten to him. Their little army hadn't done anything, not even graffiti since the little Weasel and Longbottom had been locked away for the weekend.

When he'd heard the Weasley girl wasn't going to come back to school he'd been overjoyed. He thought it would be smooth sailing. And now Longbottom, Longbottom of all people was giving him trouble.

On the other hand, it gave him a much easier target to take out his frustrations from the holiday. He'd been planning on targeting the Weasley, but he had the feeling that Longbottom would squirm more. Even if he might be a tougher target than he initially thought.

"No matter," Draco thought out loud. "I'll have to bring him down first. Break him."

Draco got off his bed as a plan formulated in his mind. He left the dorm and went to the common room. He found Pansy sitting with some younger students whose names Draco had never bothered to learn.

"Pansy," Draco called.

"Hello, Draco," Pansy said. Draco bent down to kiss her. "How are you?"

"Fine," Draco said. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

"Sure," Pansy said with a smile. "So what do you need," she asked, latching on to his arm.

"Nothing you'll mind much," Draco said. "I need you to start a fight with that Demelza girl."

"Demelza Robins?" Pansy asked. "The Quidditch player?"

"Sure," Draco said with a shrug.

"And I just start a fight? Should I hex her?" Pansy asked.

"No need to get physical," Draco said. "Just make a scene. Make some jabs at her boyfriend Finnegan, should be a tender spot. Think you can manage that?"

"No problem," Pansy said with a smile.

.

The next morning at breakfast, everything unfolded just as Draco had hoped. Pansy was excellent at antagonizing people when they were down. And she never knew when to stop. Draco was counting on both of these factors.

Pansy managed to "accidently" run into her just as she was leaving the Great Hall. Pansy slipped and knocked into Demelza.

"Excuse you," Pansy said with a sneer.

"Excuse me?" Demelza said. "You hit me."

"Oh did I?" She turned to face Demelza. "Your blood must be so thin I couldn't see you. Too diluted by Muggles I expect." Draco cringed a little. Not Pansy's best but her little cronies laughed as though it were the funniest thing they'd ever heard. Normally those remarks didn't bother Gryffindors, Draco had learned, but Demelza was vulnerable. But rather than fold, she lashed out.

"Just shut up, bitch," Demelza hissed.

"I'm sorry, hadn't mentioned it to you before?" Pansy smirked.  
"I thought you would have figured it out when your little boyfriend dumped you."

Demelza didn't say anything. She just slapped Pansy hard, right across the face. The look Pansy gave her almost made Draco burst out laughing.

"You little…" Pansy reached for her wand but Demelza was faster. A red Stunning charm caught Pansy in the chest and she slumped over. A few Gryffindors clapped and laughed as Demelza left the Great Hall. The Carrows were nowhere in sight, which was fine with Draco. He wanted Pansy to have to handle this on her own.

Draco gestured to Goyle and he grabbed a couple of first years from their house. "You two," Draco ordered, "start telling everyone about how Pansy's going to get back at Demelza." The two kids nodded and scurried off.

"She'll do it," Nott said. "You don't have to try and scare them. Pansy won't let that slide." He looked over at Pansy who was just starting to sit up. "When she comes to, anyway."

"I know. I just want to make sure they know."

.

Draco spent the rest of the afternoon shadowing Longbottom, using one of the invisibility cloaks they had confiscated from the DA before Easter. Amycus had been kind enough to let him have the day off, and to let him use the cloak.

Longbottom soon caught wind of all the rumors about Pansy getting back at Demelza. He contacted several DA members to make sure Demelza always had someone with her in case things got ugly.

Draco watched as Seamus approached Neville just after their Care of Magic Creatures class. Longbottom glared at him but Finnigan didn't seem to care.

"Neville," he said. Neville looked at him but said nothing. "Neville, listen to me. It's about Demelza."

Neville sighed. "What?"

"Pansy's going for her," Seamus said uneasily. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"What are you saying?"

"I want to help," Seamus said. "Anything I can do."

"Alright," Neville eventually said. "I'll let you know." Neville picked up his pace and left Seamus behind.

.

Pansy was still livid when Draco got back to the common room. Draco was not entirely pleased. He need Pansy a little riled up but he also needed her to hold off. She could get her own revenge in time, but Draco needed to handle Longbottom first.

"Pansy," Draco said. "Can I have a word?"

Her expression softened. "Of course." She drew away from her other friends. "What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you about Demelza," Draco said. "I need you to wait before you get back at her."

"What?" Her brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I have a plan," Draco explained. "To bring down Longbottom and his little army."

"What?" Pansy raised her voice. "And so… when you asked me to get into that fight with Demelza, that was part of your plan?"

"Of course," Draco said. "Why do you think I asked you to do that?" Draco assumed she had figured it out already.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It had to look real." Also, Pansy couldn't keep a secret to save her life. "Why are you getting so worked up?"

For a long moment Pansy just stared at him. Draco thought she was going to shout at him but then she calmed. "Of course, of course." Her voice was low. "I see how it is now." She gave him a cold glance as she walked away.

"Fine," Draco said. _It doesn't matter. It's our way. She'll come around, or she's not worth bothering._ You did what you had to do to get ahead. Pansy wasn't hurt by anything he'd done. And when it all paid off she'd forgive him.

For some reason he thought back to that morning. To the look on Demelza's face when Pansy had brought up Finnigan. It made him uncomfortable.

Draco adjusted his robes and joined Nott in front of the fire and took solace in sharing the rest of his plan.

.

"You're sure this will work?" Nott asked once again. "It'll look bad for you if it doesn't."

"It will," Draco insisted. "They won't see it coming."

"You sure?"

"I just said I was," Draco snapped.

"Alright," Nott said.

The Gryffindors would be leaving for dinner at any moment. Amycus had recently instituted a mandatory attendance policy at all meals. No one had understood why until Amycus had detained several students who had attempted to skip detention and avoiding notice by eating in the dorms for a couple of days.

As Draco expected, they came out in a group. Longbottom led the group; he didn't want Demelza walking alone while Pansy was still after her. Seamus came after him followed by Parvati Patil. Then Demelza and a few students Draco didn't recognize brought up the rear. Draco waited till they passed a corner and then he and Nott followed them.

"You sure we can't curse them? Just a little?" Nott asked.

"No," Draco said. "No, it's more fun if they do it all on their own."

"Sure," Nott said, though he didn't seem convinced.

"Just have your wand out. Try to look scary." Draco pulled out his own wand. He and Nott stepped heavily and sure enough one of the Gryffindors heard and looked back. The word went up through the line in whispers and the crowd began walking faster.

Crabbe and Goyle soon emerged from a side passage, wands drawn. Audible murmurs came from the passage now and the Gryffindors picked up their speed considerably, which the Slytherins matched. Up ahead, Longbottom and Finnigan rounded a corner.

"Look out!" Seamus called, pointing down the hall. Longbottom reflexively brought up his wand and cast a Stunning Spell. Seamus lowered his wand and chuckled. Longbottom almost dropped his wand as he slowly backed away.

A purple jet of light shot around the corner and stuck Neville's chest. He flew into the wall and stuck there. Alecto Carrow slowly came around the corner. One of the few times Draco was glad to see her.

"D-Detention!" Alecto sputtered. "For all of you!" She abruptly whirled on the rest of the Gryffindors. "But you, especially you. You all week!" She lashed her wand at Longbottom to punctuate each sentence. Draco didn't know what she was doing but it seemed to hurt. Just as abruptly, Alecto turned and walked away, leaving Neville stuck to the wall.

"Seamus," Neville said. "You… set us up…" he was having trouble speaking.

"Don't know who you can trust, I guess," Seamus said with a cold smile as he walked away.

"Draco, I have to hand it to you," Nott said. "That was bloody brilliant. I think he'll be treading lightly from here on."

"I suspect you're right."

.

As it turned out, Draco was wrong.

He went by the detention room to see what Longbottom would look like when Alecto was done with him. She was hard enough on students with regular detention; what she would do to someone who had personally attacked her, Draco could only guess. And in this, he was not let down. Neville looked like he'd lost a fight with a pack of Werewolves.

Yet the DA was up to their old tricks again that very night. When Draco got up the next morning he found a DA message sprayed on the wall right outside the Slytherin common room. Furthermore, not a single night patrol had returned that night. They had all be frozen and hidden and Draco had to spend the better part of his morning looking around with Filch to make sure they found everyone. Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle were among them and they were all quite angry at what had happened.

"Just a small measure of revenge," Draco reassured. "They're annoyed, but they'll lose their will soon enough." Yet even as he said it, he had a sour taste in his mouth. It was not what he expected… he still thought at least Nott would realize that it was just a final throe. Longbottom wouldn't have been able to keep up from the double blow of the detention and re-opening the wound of Finnigan's betrayal.

Longbottom looked even worse at breakfast the next day. Draco again waited by the detention room, this time with a crowd of Slytherins. Longbottom was bleeding and his arm was swollen and black. Yet there was a fire in his eyes and Draco knew they would not have a quiet night.

.

"He really seems like he's breaking," Nott observed the following morning.

"Your plan was just brilliant," Pansy sneered.

Above them, above the door to the Great Hall, one of the nightly Slytherin patrols had been stuck to the wall and frozen. Zabini was among them. Even now Filch and Slughorn were trying to find some way to unstick them; no one else seemed much inclined to help.

Goyle mercifully said nothing; Draco might have snapped if he had. He'd already had to deal with snide remarks from Nott and Crabbe. Instead he quietly ate his breakfast while looking over at Longbottom Their eyes met and Longbottom smiled.

.

On patrol that night Draco was determined to catch Longbottom. He would catch him out tonight and make sure he had detention for the rest of the year.

"Be careful," Draco told the patrols before they split up. "I will not be made a fool of again."

"Right," Nott said offhandedly before setting off to patrol the lower dungeons. Troublingly, Crabbe chose to go with Nott rather than Draco.

The first few hours passed without incident. Shortly before midnight, just as they reached an intersection between two corridors, jets of light shot from the left and from behind them. Goyle was hit from behind and thrown down the corridor. A few others were hit before they realized what was going on. Draco whirled, looking down the dark corridor, but the torches had been put out and Draco couldn't see anything more than shadows.

"Come on then, Longbottom!" Draco shouted. "Show yourself!"

"I'm right here." Draco whirled to see Neville standing in front of him, wand drawn. He still had cuts and bruises from his detention and he seemed to be favoring one leg.

For a moment, Draco could only stare. They were alone; Draco hadn't noticed but the rest of his patrol had run down the corridor and were trying to fight the DA members in the darkness.

_Longbottom_ Draco snarled in his head. This year would have been perfect without him. Just fine. It seemed like all his problems, even the ones he had with Potter and the Dark Lord, could be traced back to Longbottom and the thought infuriated him, consumed him.

"_Crucio!"_ Draco screamed. The rational part of his brain realized Longbottom would be able to dodge his first attack. Draco had another spell all lined up- he'd even spoken the first syllable when he realized Longbottom had froze. Only for a moment, but it was enough. Longbottom raised his wand but it was too late. The spell caught him full on and he collapsed onto his back, writhing on the floor, trying not to scream.

"How's that, Longbottom? Draco snarled, adding more power to the spell. Longbottom cried out briefly. "Look at you, squirming on the floor. I'll hold you here all night! They'll see you crying in the morning, all of them. And even if you're not a drooling madman by then, who'll stand with you?" Draco didn't realize he'd been shouting until his own voice echoed back to him over the sound of Longbottom's whimpering.

Something moved to Draco's side. Before he had a chance to react he was hit with a Stunning Charm and knocked down the hall. His spell was released and Longbottom was helped to his feet. He managed to turn his head and see who had done it.

_Hufflepuffs_ Draco thought, _of course._ Hannah Abbot and the Blood Traitor MacMillan. They helped Longbottom to his feet.

"It was… between us," Draco said painfully.

"That's where you're wrong," MacMillan said. "If it's Neville's problem, it's our problem." He couldn't tell if Longbottom was conscious and Draco had a small hope that he might have finally pushed him over the edge. He doubted it though. He might be out of commission for a few days, but Draco had the feeling that all he had done was strengthen Neville's resolve.

"What should we do with him?" someone asked.

The Robbins girl smiled. "I have an idea."

.

The following morning Draco was found hanging upside down by his ankles in the middle of the Entrance Hall. The whole school had seen him, and laughed, when they had gotten up for breakfast. It took Snape to finally bring him down; his fellow Slytherins were either laughing too hard or actively not looking at him.

Draco was tempted to leave. He wanted to; anything would be better than going into the Great Hall and facing all that ridicule. But doing so would make him look weak, so instead he smoothed out his robes and walked in. He saw Pansy and Nott sitting near the middle of the table, as usual, but there was no room for him. He sat a short way down along with Goyle; Crabbe managed to find a seat near Nott.

After the meal he approached Nott, who seemed not to notice him. Draco had to tap Nott's shoulder before he even looked Draco's way.

"What?" Nott said.

"What's going on?" Draco asked. "Why is everyone such a foul mood? They didn't get you last night, did they?"

"No," Nott said. "What do you want?"

"What's with you? With everyone?"

"Draco, you're an embarrassment to the House. A joke," Nott said plainly. "You had all your great plans to get rid of the DA and they've only made things worse. You can't even handle Longbottom."

"I made a mistake," Draco desperately admitted. "I'd like to see you do better."

"You made several," Nott corrected. "And you will."

"So that's it, then?" But Nott had already walked away.

"What's going on, Draco?" Goyle asked.

"Nothing," Draco said. "Come on, let's get to class."

Draco caught a glimpse of Longbottom as he left the Great Hall. He was leaning on a Ravenclaw boy for support while another carried his books. He couldn't even stand on his own, yet there they were, helping him get to class. Draco felt a flash of emotion that he couldn't understand before he turned away.


	23. Chapter23:There's Something About Seamus

**Chapter Twenty-Three: There's Something About Seamus**

Neville made it through the days after the Cruciatus Curse with a great deal of help from his friends. Michael and Ernie would help him to his classes when they could while Hannah carried his books. She was late once and got a detention from Professor Vector, causing Neville to feel very guilty, in spite of her insistence that it was her choice to help him.

As soon as he was able to make it around without help he called another DA meeting. He didn't want to look weak or for people to lose hope. Sadly, attendance had suffered. Only slightly, and only newer members, but still. But then, it was also hard to blame them. If they were facing Unforgiveable Curses Neville found it hard to really hold it against them. And really most of them were just kids.

"It's been a hard week," Neville began. "Many of us here wound up with detention after Draco and Seamus's scheme. They were trying to make us give up. I don't think it worked." There was a little laughter. Neville himself smiled at the memory of Draco hanging from the wall. "We need to do more, and so I need to ask more of you. It may mean more detentions, more punishment, but I don't think what we've been doing is enough. We can't let the Carrows get away with the lies they've been telling any longer. The younger students are starting to believe some of the things they say. We need to try and teach them the truth. We have to teach them the truth about Muggles, about Harry, and about Voldemort." Everyone in the room gasped. The name still felt odd on Neville's tongue, though he'd practiced that morning in the bathroom. "It's a lot to ask, but it's important. This is what we have to do now." There were a few murmurs of agreement. He hadn't expected anyone to be excited about it but no one raised any protest either. He would just have to see how it went. "I think we should avoid doing anything out in the open. Try to talk in your common rooms and don't call the Carrows out directly. It's dangerous enough as it is, we don't need to put ourselves in any more risk." It hurt to acknowledge that there were people in their own houses that they couldn't trust but he had to do it.

He dismissed the younger students to go and work on their spellwork and called a few of the older students over to him. They sat together in a corner of the room.

"What's going on?" Hanna asked.

"It's Seamus again," Neville said. "Something wrong with him. I thought that at first they might have, you know, really just gotten to him." He took a deep breath. "But I don't think that's the case anymore."

"How come?" Michael asked.

"What he said doesn't really match up. First he said he… he was after Hannah and wanted to get at me. But then he said that he just couldn't stand the torture. But then he did… what he did. That just doesn't make sense. And the way he laughed… it just wasn't him."

Michael shifted uneasily. "Neville, we all wanted to think that," he began before catching Neville's gaze. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Neville confessed. "If it's just an Imperius Curse I might be able to help him resist it. But I don't think that's it…"

"It can't be Polyjuice," Michael said. "We've seen him around everyone haven't we?"

"I'm sure we have. Draco and Nott were there last week. I know I've seen him with Amycus," Ernie said.

"Tuesday at lunch," Michael said. "They were both there."

"I'm just going to have to confront him," Neville said. "It has to be something we're no thinking of."

"Yeah," Michael and Ernie said, though Neville could read the doubt across their faces.

.

Michael and Ernie went off on their own but Hannah walked with Neville to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Be careful," Hannah said. "Whatever happened to him, he's dangerous now."

"I know," Neville said, "but he's my friend. I have to try."

Hannah pulled herself closer to Neville, tugging his arm against her chest and laying her head on his shoulder. "I know. I know you can do it. Just be careful."

For a little while, Neville forgot how worried he was.

.

Neville had wanted to talk to Seamus alone but Seamus had been sitting out in the Common Room, talking to some of the younger students. Neville wasn't paying too much attention but it sounded like he was generally reinforcing the sort of things that Amycus and Alecto preached in their classes.

Neville had no idea how to start. He didn't think there was really a good way. He didn't know what the problem was. In truth, he didn't even know if there was anything wrong, if he was being honest with himself. But he found that the more he thought about Seamus, the more he worried about everything else as well. Ginny had said, before she left, that Harry had been on some important mission or something. But how long could that have taken? They'd heard bits and pieces of things that might have been Harry- a disturbance at Godric's Hollow, an attempted break out at Azkaban, things like that- but one could confirm where he was, or even if he was alive.

That wasn't Neville's worst fear though. Part of him worried that Harry might have just left. That he'd failed at whatever he was trying for and had given up. Or maybe there was no mission to begin with. He, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were all hiding out somewhere safe and he's been left out again.

Neville shook his head. He knew none of that was true. Some part of him still did, anyway, but those thoughts were becoming stronger and stronger. He had to do something or it was going to drive him crazy. If he could get Seamus back…

He walked across the common room and stood directly in front of Seamus. "Seamus."

Seamus lazily turned his head. "What do you want?" He had his legs crossed and was holding a small glass of pumpkin juice like it was Amberwine. Did Seamus even sit like that? Neville wasn't sure.

"We need to talk."

"Do we, now?" Seamus said. "I thought we'd pretty much covered everything."

"No," Neville said. "Something is going on with you, I know it."

"You're just now realizing that?" Seamus said.

"You're not acting like yourself," Neville said. He looked at Seamus, hoping to see… anything. "Not just the big things. Everything you've been," Neville stopped talking when Seamus rolled his eyes and moved his juice toward his lips.

For some reason that small act sent Neville over the edge. He knocked Seamus's drunk away and grabbed Seamus's robes. For a moment Seamus actually looked afraid. Then he smiled.

"What?" Seamus said. "What are you going to do? Paint something on my wall? You're a joke!" Seamus stood, pushing Neville away. "Get out of my way. I don't even want to be in the same room as you."

"No," Neville said, feeling both angry and oddly relieved. "I know that's not you. Seamus, if you've been cursed, fight it! Give me some sort of sign!"

Seamus laughed. "You're so naïve, Neville. It's time to grow up. This is how it's happening. Get used to it." Seamus moved to leave and Neville stopped him, though he had doubts. Was he just in denial? No, Seamus wasn't like this.

Seamus again tried to push past Neville and Neville grabbed his arm. Seamus tried to pull his arm away. He seemed to be hunching over now, though Neville hadn't done anything to actually hurt him. Seamus's arm finally came free and he moved toward the door slow, his hunch becoming more pronounced.

One of the younger students approached him. "Seamus, what…"

By now everyone in the common room was staring at Seamus. Something was happening to him. He almost seemed to be rippling or something.

When he turned around, he wasn't Seamus any longer. It took Neville a moment to realize that the face staring back at him from poorly fitting robes belonged to Amycus Carrow.

"You've been…" Neville managed. "All this time…"

"Well, it's not very impressive for you to have put it together now." He frowned and looked at his spilled goblet. "I always liked to live on the edge, so to speak. I just cut it too close this time." He sighed dramtically. Neville was still dumbfounded, arms limp at his sides. "Shall I assume you don't want the easy way?" Amycus raised his wand. Neville reached for his own but he was still in shock. "Crucio!" Neville jumped away out of instinct and the spell just barely missed him. A scream came from behind and Neville saw a tall second year girl writhing on the floor. Guilt washed over him, but before it really had time to sink in another spell came his way. Neville was too slow to dodge this time and he wasn't sure he would have tried anyway.

Having been exposed to the Curse before didn't help things. It wasn't any easier, knowing what was coming. The pain was beyond words, like being pulled apart, burned, stabbed, and a million other sensations all at once. Through a fog he heard other students screaming. He wanted the pain to stop, but who would stand up for him? Ginny was gone. Seamus… he didn't know what had happened to Seamus now. Parvati and Demelza might but he didn't even know if they were in the Tower.

All told, he didn't think it lasted very long. Probably less than half a minute, but it felt so much longer. He could tell when the spell ended, though the pain lingered long after. He was pulled up into the air and carried out of the Tower. Just outside he saw Demelza and Parvati coming toward them down the hall. Once they saw what was happening they each drew their wands but Neville held out a hand to stop them. Amycus might be a fool in some ways but he was also a powerful wizard; his Cruciatus Curse had been far more painful than Draco's and he didn't want anyone else to get hurt. Reluctantly the two of them held themselves back.

They only stopped once for Amycus to tell a Slytherin, Warrington, to tell for Draco and Alecto to meet them in his office.

"Should I, er, tell Professor Snape?" Warrington asked.

"Did I tell you to tell Professor Snape?"

"N-no."

"Be along, then."

Amycus took Neville to his office. He was set down in a small chair. Neville tested the spell and found that he could move his head. I guess they'd want to ask him questions.

Draco was the first to arrive, followed shortly by Alecto. "What's going on?" The other Carrow asked.

"And why is he here?" Draco followed.

"I'm afraid our little game is up," Amycus said with a small sigh.

"What are you talking about?" Alecto said. "What game? All I see is that Longbottom."

"How'd he find out?" Draco asked.

"He knocked my Polyjuice over just as I have having another dose."

"I told you not to wait till the last minute," Draco snorted.

"It was quite a show, but it had to end sooner or later," Amycus went on. "Went on rather longer than I thought it would."

Neville was trying to make sense of everything. It was so confusing. "But… I've seen you…"

"Ah, now that was the best part," Amycus grinned. "A true stroke of genius. Something your weak, half-blooded brain would have no hope to figure out on your own. But I will tell you, so you will understand the nature of your inferiority."

"Longbottom's full blood," Draco pointed out.

Amycus's face flashed annoyance and he was silent for a moment. "Fine. I still want him to know that he can't beat us. That we're better form him."

"What's going on now?" Alecto asked.

"Oh do be quiet," Amycus said. "I am going to explain." He paused for a moment, deciding the best place to begin. "I found your friend Seamus outside the Headmaster's office just after the Winter Break. Just chance. Or perhaps a touch of Destiny?" Amycus looked off somewhere behind Neville. "Either way I found him and I got him. At first I planned on simply giving long detention but then I realized who he was, one of ringleaders of the troublemakers. At first I just planned on using him for information. But he managed to resist my Legilemency. Only a little, but he kept the important things from me but not everything. But I realized that he could still access most of his memories, his thoughts and mannerisms, and I got the idea to impersonate him. I had some Polyjuice on hand so I started right away."

"No, but… I've seen you."

"Yes, that's the most brilliant part. I knew I would need more than one person, someone I could trust. Draco was the only choice. Professor Snape has other obligations, and anyway I don't think I would want to spend anymore time with him than I would have to. My sister had not the talent." Alecto bristled at this but said nothing. "So with my accomplice we would alternate. Fill each other in on what had happened while I plied more information from the captive to ensure my portrayal was accurate."

Draco was smiling while seeming a little exasperated at Amycus's extended explanation. Amycus looked proud while Alecto looked confused and angry.

"Not perfect," Neville said. "It wasn't even very good." Amycus's expression darkened but Neville went on. "I always knew something was wrong. If you didn't have his face you wouldn't have fooled anyone."

Amycus snorted and chose not to acknowledge Neville. "We had hoped we might break you with the betrayal of your friend. That plan did not work so now I think we must try a more direct approach." Alecto smiled at this and drew her wand but Amycus held her off with a hand. "No, no. I have a better idea." Amycus opened one of his drawers and took something out that Neville was very familiar with.

"What is that thing?" Draco asked. He had never seen the Desensulator before.

Amycus set it down on the table next to Neville. He flicked his wand and Neville's had jerked up next to the Desensulator. In an odd way Neville felt relieved. It wouldn't be fun, of course, but the Desensulator was something he could deal with.

Amycus looked at Draco. "Put his hand in it."

Draco looked skeptical but he went along. Neville didn't even try to resist; he just wanted to get it over with. His body instantly went numb. Alright. Not so bad.

"Again," Amycus said. A feeling of dread instantly made Neville's stomach sink. This time he did try to hold his hand back but Draco was too strong. His hand went in again and this time he went blind.

"Again." This time Neville lost his smell.

"Again."

This time Neville left the world. He lost his hearing and then he couldn't interact with the world at all. He could tell when he was moving, when his hand was being forced into the Desensulator again. And they put it in over and over and over again. He lost track of the count.

He began to panic. They were moving him now. Well, he thought they were. He couldn't be sure. Where were they moving him? They could lock him away and not even he would know where he was.

But no, that wasn't Amycus's style. Neville knew how he would look, deprived all senses. Amycus would want people to see him like that so he was probably in a hall. He decided to lay down and hope his friends found him in the morning. If he could make it through the next day he would be fine and that would be that.

Seamus. In spite of everything Neville felt a little relieved. Seamus really hadn't betrayed him. But the relief was filled immediately with dread. Where was Seamus? They must have kept him locked away. He might not even be at the school anymore. Either way, Neville would find him. If he had to leave the school, he would.

Now Neville was trying to remember everything they had told "Seamus" in the last few weeks. They'd know almost all the DA members by now. He wondered if everyone else would get the same treatment as him. They still weren't sure if the Room of Requirement was safe.

He thoughts soon began to wander and eventually he fell asleep.

.

When he woke the next morning he panicked. For a moment he'd forgotten what had happened and when he couldn't see or hear or feel anything he thought he might be dead. But it came back to him and he calm down. He laid down on the floor ad waited. Eventually he felt that he was being moved. He did his best to not resist the motion and hoped he was with friends.

Eventually the sense of motion stopped. He could be in Detention, the Great Hall, or class for all he knew. The Great Hall made the most sense, assuming he'd woken up and been discovered at his usual time. He then realized with no small concern that eating would be very difficult. He couldn't taste or feel any food that might be in his mouth. He decided to simply hope for the best and not resist anything. He would have to hope his friends had him and that they would at least feed him something. Well, he would probably be fine with one day without food. He was pretty sure he could but it was just one more thing on his mind.

To help pass the time till the Desensulator wore off he tried to think of places they might be hiding Seamus. Amycus had implied they had him nearby, on the grounds somewhere. There were lots of out of the way places in Hogwarts but stuck as he was there wasn't much he could do. He also thought of a few nasty spells he might like to do cast on Draco and Amycus for what they had done. But only in passing; in spire of everything hey had done he didn't really want to hurt them. He just wanted them gone. Locked away in Azkaban where he didn't have to worry about them anymore. But even these thoughts didn't linger and then there was nothing to do but wait for time to pass.

He was moved periodically throughout the day. He suspected that he was probably going to his classes. If the Slytherins he couldn't imagine why they would be moving him so much. He tried to use class breaks to judge the time but eventually something felt off. He'd been still for a long time so he guessed he was back in the Tower. The effects of the Desensulator should have worn off but they hadn't. Not even one of them; he was completely cut off from the world.

_I can't judge time at all. It's probably earlier than I think._ The thought offered little comfort. He still felt like something was wrong. In spite of his worries sleep finally came to him. His last thought was wondering if he was in his own bed or still sitting out in the common room.

.

Neville again woke in a panic but this time it didn't go away. He had slept for several hours and his sense were still gone. He looked around, hoping that maybe it was just really dark. He screamed and heard nothing. He reached out, trying to grab something to feel something but nothing happened. He was still gone.

Eventually he calmed himself down. He had no idea what time it was. He might have woken someone up, except that with Seamus gone he was probably alone in his room. There was nothing to do but wait until someone moved him. The waiting was nervewracking but he reminded himself that he was among his friends and they would keep him safe. Eventually he was moved, down to the Great Hall for breakfast he assumed.

Something went down his throat. Apparently the sense blocking didn't extend that far. He choked, not expecting it, but then realized how thirsty he was. Now that he thought on it he hadn't had anything to drink the previous day either. But then, there were some spells that could hydrate a person for a time. The person would eventually need actual water but the spell could help. His friends must have tried that, figuring he could have some actual water the next day. But he wasn't getting better so now they must be trying to feed him. They gave him a liquid that had the same consistency as Butterbeer as he finished exhaling. He made sure to breathe slowly so as not to choke again. Then a small piece of food went down his throat. He gave a thumbs up and exhaled deeply. He hoped they'd taken his message and were giving him food the same way they'd given him the Butterbeer. He chewed after a moment and sure enough something went down his throat. He had no idea what but he felt a little better. It was a miserable way to eat, he knew, but after not eating the previous day he was glad for any food.

Once the meal was over he prepared himself for another day of nothing.

.

Neville tried to settle into a routine but found that it didn't comfort him at all. He could only guess what he was doing but he didn't actually know. When he fell asleep he had no idea if he was in his bed, in a class, or even in the Great Hall in his food. He suspected his friends were taking care of him now but he didn't know to what extent; he doubted they were bathing him (not that he blamed them) but he was sure he was starting to smell by now. He began to savor the moments when they moved him because it let him know he was still alive.

We wondered if he would notice if he died. Neville had never really thought about that sort of thing very much, what it would be like. He thought his grandmother used to be religious but she hadn't really talked about it much sense his parents…

If it was just blackness, nothingness, like some people said, how would he even know? If he stopped getting hungry would that mean he was dead? Neville tried to think about other things but it was hard to focus on other things.

He missed his friends. Hannah especially. It was a weird feeling though, because he suspected he'd been around them as much as he usually was, if no moreso. But he still missed them, being able to talk to them and see them and actually know they were there, rather than just assume and hope. Well, perhaps missed wasn't quite the right word because every time he moved he knew they were helping out him and he felt their presence. But he missed seeing them.

However, he did keep getting hungry and he did keep moving. He was still alive. But what kind of life was it really? Alone in his head, unable to communicate with anyone. The fact that he was getting moved meant that people cared and were watching out for him. It was a very comforting thought. He also thought of Hannah. He missed her terribly. She was probably one of the ones taking care of him but since she was in another House she probably couldn't be around as much. He didn't think the Carrows would make him stay like this forever (though mostly because the alternative was to horrible to contemplate) and the thought of seeing her again did provide some comfort.

But the days passed and all he experienced with nothing.

.

It felt like it had been a month when he woke up one day and could see. He was laying in his bed and he realized he could see light coming in through a window. It shocked him at first- he thought he might have finally died and this was it. But he quickly recognized his bed, and then his room and he relaxed. Next he realized something smelled horrible and that it was probably him. Yet he didn't mind. He was happy to just smell something. He felt his blankets and even though they were a little dirty they still felt wonderful against his skin.

"It's over," he said, mostly to hear his own voice. It had been a while since he spoke and he did so rather louder than he meant to. He woke the room's other occupant sleeping in Seamus's bed.

"Neville?" The blankets were pushed back and Neville saw Hannah rubbing her eyes. "Neville?"

"Hannah?" Hannah rubbed her eyes again and looked at him again. Her eyes went wide and she ran across the room. Neville barely had time to brace himself before she tackled him on to the bed and kissed him.

And so the first thing he tasted were Hannah's lips.

.

Neville had rarely had people cheer for him before but when he walked into the Great Hall alone (Hannah the and Gryffindors agreed to wait a little behind him) and people noticed he was "back" so to speak, Michael Corner began clapping and cheering and it spread along the Ravenclaw table and quickly to the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors as well. The Slytherins, naturally, remained silent but Neville, naturally, didn't care. He did catch a glimpse of Draco Malfoy staring him at through the crowd and he didn't think he'd ever seen Malfoy look so vicious.

He kissed Hannah goodbye as they parted ways and took a seat right near Parvati at the Gryffindor table along with Demelza and a few other DA members. Everyone was clamoring to talk to him, to ask him questions about what had happened and fill him in on what he had missed. Neville saw a jug a pumpkin juice on the table and longer to chug the whole thing but he held himself back. He had to make an important announcement first.

"I think most of you probably heard but for the last few weeks, Seamus hasn't been Seamus. Amycus and Draco had been using Polyjuice to impersonate him."

"Where is he?" Demelza asked. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know," Neville answered. "But we are going to find out."


	24. Chapter 24: Saving Seamus

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Saving Seamus**

"Half blood," McGonagall said when prompted for a password.

"There we are," the fat lady replied as her portrait swung open. The Gryffindor common room was full though no especially loud. McGonagall scanned the room and quickly identified the person she had come to see.

"Mister Longbottom," she said, catching his attention.

"Professor," Neville said, getting to his feet.

"Can I have a word?"

"Of course." McGonagall and Neville walked to an empty corner of the common room. As they walked McGonagall realized for the first time that Neville was taller than her.

"You seem to have recovered completely," McGonagall observed. "What did they do to you?"

"It was their Desensulator. They kept using it." Neville pursed his lips. "I guess the more they use it on you the longer the effect is."

"I am so sorry," McGonagall said. "Madam Pomfrey tried everything she knew but nothing seemed to work."

"I know," Neville said. "Hannah told me." He gestured toward the stairway and McGonagall noticed that one of the students was Hannah Abbot, a Hufflepuff. She probably shouldn't have been in the Gryffindor common room… but McGonagall had noticed her and Neville becoming close lately and after what he had been through she would not deny him whatever comfort Hannah's presence might offer. "Have there been any lingering effects?"

"Not since my eyes adjusted," Neville said. "It's a little weird to have so many sensations again. You don't realize how many hit you every second till you've lost them for a week." He managed a weak smile but McGonagall could tell thinking about the experience was hard for him. She herself couldn't begin to imagine what it was like. She had once spent the night hiding in a small, unlit secret room when Death Eaters crashed an Order hideout and she hadn't been able to escape, but that had only been six hours with only her sight gone. What Neville had gone through… it gave her shivers just to think about it.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to do much in the way of punishing those responsible," McGonagall lamented.

"I know," Neville said. "It's fine."

"Very good then," she said. "I just wanted to make sure you were recovering alright. I saw you at breakfast this morning and I almost didn't believe it."

"Professor," Neville said. "There's one thing…"

"Yes?"

"It wasn't really Seamus that sold us out." McGonagall tiled her head. "It wasn't him. Amycus and Draco had been using Polyjuice to impersonate him for… I'm not sure. Since before Easter."

"So it's true…" McGonagall had heard rumors to that effect but hadn't had time to follow up on them. But now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Seamus in class all week.

"Professor, I think they might be keeping him somewhere in the school. They were using Legilemency to help them. I think he's still here."

McGonagall straightened herself up, her mouth a thin line. "I will see to this immediately."

McGonagall left Gryffindor Tower, her anger growing with each step. It was bad enough what they'd done to Neville but they'd apparently been keeping another student locked up for… McGonagall couldn't be sure how long but it must have been at least a month.

_He's still here though. If they were using Polyjuice they would need something from him to make it. Something fresh._ They might have moved him since their rouse was uncovered but somehow McGonagall thought not. He was still somewhere close, where Amycus would have easy access.

She didn't even both knocking. With a wave and a nonverbal spell she knocked the door to their personal chambers off its hinges. Luckily neither of them were inside, though she would have had no problems dueling either of them at that moment. She searched the room thoroughly as her mounting rage would allow but found no trace of Seamus.

_Severus,_ McGonagall thought. It was a desperate thought but it was all her mind could focus on. She saw Snape for who he really was now, but she couldn't completely forget the man she had worked alongside for sixteen years. A man who could, at times, be heartless… but not a man who would abide the torture of children. Perhaps not anyway. _Play him against Amycus,_ she thought. They never got along, she might give him Seamus for a chance to show up Amycus.

She arrived in front of the gargoyle had took a moment to compose herself. As much as she might want to, getting in a fight with Snape wouldn't accomplish much. Though it was still her backup plan. "Voldemort," she said. The word still made her uneasy but she knew nothing would happen. She took the stairs two and a time and threw open the door without knocking.

"Severus!" McGonagall shouted as she entered. "Where is Seamus Finnigan?"

Snape stood up from behind his desk, clearly irritated. "You will address me as-"

"I don't have time for your idiotic games!" McGonagall interrupted. "Amycus Carrow has kidnapped one of my students! He's been held somewhere for the past month!"

The portraits on the wall all started shouting. Even Phineas Nigellus Black seemed a little uneasy at the idea. Even Dumbledore looked like he was shouting, a rarity, though McGonagall couldn't make out what he was saying. Hearing his voice again did hurt a little but she was too angry to let it affect her.

"Quiet!" Snape said but the portraits kept shouting. "Silence!" Snape himself shouted this time and then did fall silent. Snape paused a moment to collect himself before speaking. "Minerva, no student has been kidnapped, let me assure you. The student in question, Seamus Finnigan, was found snooping outside my office at night. Surely you don't think students should be allowed to plot against their Headmaster?" McGonagall had to hold her tongue to avoid saying yes. "He will be kept for as long as his supervisor sees fit. So I advise you to stay away from the old West Corridor unless you wish to be charged with inhibiting proper school functions?"

"As you will, Headmaster." McGonagall made a stiff nod and quickly left the room. So Seamus was being kept in the old West Corridor, was he? It had shut down before McGonagall began teaching there but perhaps Filius would remember.

She found Flitwick in his office grading papers. "Minerva," he greeted before seeing the look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"They're keeping Seamus Finnigan in the old West Corridor," she said. "What do you know about it?"

"Finnigan?" Flitwick hopped off his chair. "I heard some stories about him. Something about Amycus and Polyjuice…"

"It's true," McGonagall cut in. "I'll tell you what happened later. Right now we need to save him."

"And he's in the old West Corridor?" Flitwick asked. "That shouldn't be too hard. There's not much down there anymore. Most of it was sealed off when the Hufflepuff common room was moved out there. There's only a few rooms still there and they're mostly used for storage. Get the door for me, will you?"

They reached the old West Corridor a few minutes later. With no torches lit the hallway it was dark and almost seemed to emanate cold.

"They may be guarding him," Flitwick said.

"I know," McGonagall said. "_Lumos!_" Her wand cast a pale light a few feet down the corridor. "Come on."

Together they slowly walked down the old corridor. Old desks and chairs lined the walls. There were sconces for torches but the torches themselves were nowhere to be seen. This deep down there were no windows so the only light came from McGonagall's wand.

She held the wand while Flitwick checked the doors but all of them were sealed tight with both physical locks and magic. The passage seemed to get colder as they went down and McGonagall pulled her cloak tighter around her. Her wandlight didn't seem to go as far and as door after door was locked and sealed she began to worry that Seamus wasn't in this part of the castle. Perhaps not even in the castle at all. Perhaps not even…

"Minerva," Flitwick said. "I think-"

"I know." He didn't need to say it. Dementors. "We still have to press on."

"I know."

Together they kept walking down the corridor, wands at the ready. McGonagall tried to peer into the darkness but dementors were almost totally black themselves and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to see them. But then she saw something looming over Flitwick, a dark shape reaching toward him.

"_Expecto patronum!_" Her silver cat shot from her wand and threw the dementor off in the darkness.

"Behind you!" Flitwick shouted. McGonagall moved out of the way as Flitwick's patronus, an owl, shot past her and sent another dementor off into the darkness. The two of them brought their patronuses close and tried to see past their glow into the darkness.

"Look!" McGonagall called as another shape came through darkness.

"Go!" Flitwick shouted. His patronus ran to intercept the shape and passed harmlessly through it. Flitwick let out a yelp and jumped against the wall as a giant club slammed against the group. The shock of it nearly knocked McGonagall off her feet as the club's owner came into view.

"Cave trolls," she gasped in spite of herself. And indeed there was another one, coming around the second bringing it's club directly toward Flitwick. She grabbed him and pulled him out of the way in time to save him from the troll's club. She herself was not so lucky as the club crashed down on her leg, shattering the bone.

"_Stupefy!_" Flitwick shouted. A jet of red light struck the mountain troll in the face. It stumbled back but did not seem seriously hurt as another one came from behind it. "We need to get out of here!"

"I can't!" McGonagall shouted back. "My leg!"

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" McGonagall levitated off the ground and was pulled behind Flitwick as he ran back down the corridor. The dementors were coming back around and McGonagall fended them off with her patronus as best she could. But she alone couldn't get them all and she could tell their presence was having an adverse effect on Flitwick. The trolls would take a moment to get their speed up but once they did Flitwick would have no chance of outrunning them. It sounded like there were three behind them but she couldn't be totally sure. And she couldn't even guess how many dementors there were.

Flitwick rounded the corner just as the trolls got up to full speed. He managed to get past the dementors and with all of them behind her, McGonagall was able to position her patronus to keep them at bay until they left the Old West Corridor. McGonagall looked back but it didn't look like the dementors were going to follow them.

McGonagall dropped to the floor. It was only a few feet but she landed on her injured leg. She quickly shifted to keep her weight off it but her robe was already developing a small red stain.

"How bad is it?" Flitwick asked once he regained his breath.

"Bad," she said. "I'll need to see Pomfrey."

"I'm sure she can set it right in no time," Flitwick agreed. "Come, I'll take you." He lifted her off the ground again and carefully led her toward the Hospital Wing.

"How many were there?' McGonagall eventually asked.

"Three trolls," Flitwick said. "Well, at least three. And as many dementors. Maybe more, I can't tell them apart." He sighed. "It's a lot."

"I know," McGonagall said. And knowing did not help very much in this situation. Two old, though admittedly talented, wizards taking on a small army of some of the worst things the night had to offer? It was a hopeless situation.

"Perhaps if we could sneak up on them…" Flitwick said with no enthusiasm.

"I'm not sure it's possible to sneak up on a dementor," McGonagall replied.

"Perhaps with Pomona and Slughorn?"

"It won't be enough. Neither of them are fighters, not really."

"True." Flitwick sighed again. "So what then? We're not going to be leaving him there, are we?"

"Of course not. We'll think of something." And they would. Neither of them were in the best shape right now. McGonagall herself was in extreme pain from her leg and it wasn't going away. Flitwick was near exhausted. He was even older than she was, he shouldn't be doing so much running around.

Flitwick told Pomfrey that McGonagall has slipped on something and fallen down the stairs. Pomfrey seemed skeptical but she did not press them for answers. That made McGonagall a little sad. Pomfrey usually insisted on learning the exact nature of the injury, if for no other reason than to chastise the student (or whoever) for doing something dangerous. Now she didn't even seem to care. She wound up giving McGonagall two spoonfuls of Skele-grow after painfully resetting the bone which had been slightly sticking through her skin.

"You'll need to wait here for a few hours and I'll check back on you. I don't think you'll need to stay the night, though you're welcome to," Madam Pomfrey said.

"Thank you, Poppy. I may take you up on that." She didn't think she would really need to stay all night. But Alecto was still hassling her at night and McGonagall took some small pleasure in wondering if she would wait up all night if she never came.

"It's usually not too hard to outsmart a troll," Flitwick said, "but in that narrow corridor we don't have too many options. They have him very well guarded."

"He was one of the leaders of Dumbledore's Army," McGonagal said. "Amycus probably thought they'd fall apart without him and Ginny and wanted to make sure he couldn't escape."

"Well, that was a mistake, wasn't it?" Flitwick chuckled.

"Yes," McGonagall said as an idea came to her. "Yes, a very big mistake." She smiled for the first time that morning.

.

"Neville, will you stay a moment? I need to talk with you."

"Sure, Professor." Neville stayed in his seat while the other students left the classroom. Once the room was empty but for them McGonagall shut the door with a flick of her wand.

"I found where Seamus is," she said.

Neville jumped to his feet. "Where? Tell me, Professor, I'll get him right now." He was still weak from his numb week but his eyes were full of fire.

"The old West Corridor in the dungeons," she answered, "but he is heavily guarded."

"How many?"

"At least three mountain trolls and three dementors." She took a deep breath. "You can't do it on your own."

Neville's firmed his jaw. "Professor, I-"

"I can't do it on my own either," she said stepping around her desk. The Skele-grow had worked wonders but she would need a cane for at least another week. "We need each other for this."

"Then we're in, Professor. Just tell me when."


	25. Chapter 25: Saving Seamus, Part 2

**Chapter Twenty Five: Saving Seamus, Part 2**

Neville called a meeting of the DA the very night McGonagall came to him. But it was a limited meeting; he only wanted the older members. The ones he knew best and could count on.

"So what's going on?" Parvati asked.

"We know where Seamus is," Neville said. "We're going to go get him."

Demelza sprang to her feet. "Where is he?"

"I'm not completely sure," Neville confessed. "I do know that he's under heavy guard."

"How heavy?" Demelza asked.

"Cave trolls and dementors," Neville answered. "Not sure exactly how many." He paused a few moments to let it sink in. "This is strictly voluntary. We all know what dementors can do so we all know what we risk. It's too much to ask of anyone."

"I'm going," Demelza said.

"Me too," Parvati said. Within moments everyone had agreed to come along. _Nine. Nine against perhaps that many cave trolls and dementors._

"We will have some help," Neville said. "Some of the teachers are coming along with us."

"Which ones?' Terry Boot blurted. Based on the silence that fell over the group, he was not the only one that wanted to know.

"The House Heads, I think." Neville paused. "Maybe not Slughorn," he amended.

"That's great!" Terry said.

"Don't get too cocky," Neville said. "McGonagall and Flitwick tried the other day and they couldn't even get close. Actually, I think they barely made it out. I don't know if any of you noticed McGonagall's limp but I think that's where it came from." That seemed to sober them up a little. He was glad so many of them were coming but he didn't want them to go in overconfident and get themselves hurt. Or killed. Or worse.

"Alright, then. We're doing it tonight an hour after dinner. Meet back in front of the Potions classroom," Neville instructed. The group dispersed to their own common rooms, except for Hannah who stayed.

"Are you sure?" Hannah asked.

"About what?"

"Oh, I mean, are you sure you want to do it tonight?" He could see the concern etched on her face. "You're still a little weak and McGonagall's hurt as well."

"Seamus has been down there for over a month," Neville said. "I'm not leaving him down there any longer. Not even one more night."

Hannah stared at him a moment, biting her lip as she sometimes did when she was frustrated. "Ok. But I'm not going to let you do anything stupid, ok? I'll stun you myself if I have to."

"Deal," Neville said with a smile. "I won't try to wrestle down any of the mountain trolls."

"Good." She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "And don't snog any dementor girls either, no matter how passionate things get out there."

Neville smiled as she walked toward her common room. "I don't think there's such as thing as girl dememtors." Hannah turned around and stuck her tongue out at him before rounding the corner.

Neville walked back to the Tower alone. He was thinking through all the spells- besides the obvious ones- that might work on Mountain Trolls. He didn't know if they had any sort of innate resistance like Giants. He thought he might have heard they were related once in class but he couldn't recall. Flitwick would probably know.

He rounded a corner and nearly started when he saw Draco Malfoy, also walking alone, at the other end. His back was to Neville and he didn't turn before he turned the corner and was gone from sight. Now that he thought on it, Draco was usually walking alone. He seemed to have fallen out of favor with the rest of the Slytherins. Even Crabbe seemed to be spending more time with Ted Nott and Amycus. The Slytherin night patrols had also fallen apart once Draco fell out of favor. Draco and Goyle had been spotted at night, along with the teachers, but none of them really posed much threat. Draco could only cover so much of the castle and most of the teachers didn't try very hard. Occasionally Amycus put together a few patrols but he usually couldn't be bothered and they wouldn't do it without his insistence.

Neville felt an odd sense of pity for Draco as he walked on. Draco had never been anything but cruel to him but he still hated seeing him alone. He recalled his first year when he'd been an outcast for the second half of the school year. Only Harry and his friends would even talk to him and he got the feeling that they didn't really like doing so. It was hard to see that happening to someone else, even if it was Draco.

"Neville." A voice jerked Neville from his thoughts. He turned to see Michael Corner sticking his head out of the library door.

"Michael," he returned. "What's going on?"

"What are you doing right now?"

"Just heading back to the dorm. I need to rest a little before tonight."

"Oh alright. I don't want to disturb you," Michael said. "It's just that me, Terry, and Anthony were all doing some research on trolls and dementors. To see if they have any weaknesses, I guess, and what spells we should use on them."

"That's a good idea," Neville said. He was very tired but also intrigued by what Michael was doing. "I mean, how much do we really know about dementors?"

"Not much," Michael admitted. "A Patronus will repel them but that's it. We don't know if it even really hurts them. And if we had to kill one I don't even know how we'd do that."

"I see." Neville hadn't known of any way to kill a dementor himself but he'd kind of assumed someone would.

"But anyway, we know what to do with a dementor but a troll is another story. They're so big I don't know if a simple stunning spell will work. We're still looking to see if maybe they have some kind of weakness. And if you have a few minutes we could use another pair of eyes."

"Oh, sure. Just for a few minutes though."

"Great," Michael said with a grin.

"Michael, can I ask you something?" Neville said as they started to walk.

"Sure."

"Why did you join the DA?" Neville asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"Ok, I do," Michael acquiesced. "Back at the beginning of the year I was still hung up on Ginny. We'd, you know, gone out through most of our fourth and fifth years. It was my first real relationship, you know? And when she broke up with me it was so out of the blue."

"You went out with Cho right after that didn't you?"

"Well, yes. But it was more of a revenge thing. After the way Harry treated her and then watching Harry and Ginny just dancing around each other… we just got to talking in the Common Room one night and it just seemed to make sense. We'd be all over each other when the two of them were around but we hardly even talked otherwise."

"And you never got over Ginny?"

Michael made a half smile. "I thought I had. But then I heard a rumor that she and Harry had broken up over the summer. And when Harry didn't come back this year I guess it started all over again." He shook his head. "It didn't make any sense but there you go.

"Eventually I realized I still didn't have a chance with her. She was still in love with Harry. I could tell from the way she talked about him. But it was funny, I realized I still wanted to come to the meeting and be involved. Even once she left."

"Well you've really been big help," Neville said. "Especially with everyone we've… lost this year."

"Thanks," Michael said, his half smile turning into a full one. "Let's go figure out how to take down a mountain troll."

.

Neville only managed to stay in the library for about half an hour before leaving. His body was still tired from everything it had been through. He hadn't found anything useful but he was hoping the other two might.

He only managed a short name but it really helped. He still didn't feel right though. It occurred to him that something was off with him. He hadn't been starved or anything; he'd eaten poorly for a week. He was starting to worry that extended use of the Desensulator might have messed up something inside him.

He ate as much at dinner as his stomach could hold. The Great Hall seemed unusually silent. The DA members had grown nervous as it got closer and closer to the appointed time and their mood rubbed off on the younger students. The only noise came from the Slytherin table, which seemed oblivious to the mood of the rest of the school. He saw Draco staring at him from time to time. At one point that would have unnerved him but now he found that little had that effect on him.

Dementors were one of those few things, however. He'd had no trouble with his Patronus since the train… but he hadn't really had trouble with it before then either. It would be different with a dementor right in front of him. He remembered how cold it felt when it touched him and the way Lunca had gone limp when they grabbed her.

Not for the first time, he wished Ginny was still there.

Neville went back to the Common Room to wait. He brought down a few of his books, thinking he might do some homework to pass the time but he couldn't concentrate on anything. He wondered how Harry had been able to keep up on his schoolwork with everything that happened to him every year.

Some of the other DA members waited with him. Parvati and Lavender seemed fairly calm but they were able to talk with each other, distract each other. Demelza seemed even more anxious than he was. He thought about trying to strike up a conversation with her but he didn't know her well enough and thought it would be awkward.

Eventually eight o'clock came around. Neville set his books down, stood up, and walked toward the portrait hole. The others followed him.

The halls were, as predicted, mostly deserted. Nick and Peeves joined up with them to act as scouts. Not that there was much to avoid these days; the Slytherins still weren't running their patrols. They joined up with the members from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff along the way. Hannah came to walk beside him, though they didn't talk.

McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout were waiting at the entrance of the dungeon. McGonagall took the lead, which Neville was fine with since he wasn't sure where they were going. She managed to keep a good pace in spite of her limp. The air got colder as they went. Eventually McGonagall stopped in front of one of an old, run down corridor.

"This is it," she said plainly. "The trolls and dementors are around the first corner. It's going to be very dark so move slowly. We will try to take them by surprise.

"I'm sure you all know that Patronuses will work on dementors but not trolls," she went on. "Trolls are very strong and faster than they look. They're not very smart, however, and don't work well together so use that to your advantage."

"They live in the mountains and are used to cold," Michael chimed in. "That's part of why they work well with dementors. Don't try any freezing spells. Fire will hurt them. They're very attached to their clubs so damaging the clubs can distract them. They also have magical resistance. Not as much as giants but it would take several stunning spells to knock one down."

Flitwick looked proud of his student. McGonagall also seemed impressed though neither of them said anything. Michael had found good information.

McGonagall turned to face the corridor. She took a deep breath and took her first step down the cave. Flitwick went next followed by Neville and Sprout. Anthony and Padma stayed behind to watch the entrance. They would need a warning if anyone came walking and also might need someone to watch over anyone who was wounded and needed to get away from the fighting.

They kept their wands dark, hoping they might retain the advantage of surprise. It also allowed their eyes time to adjust to the dark. The corridor grew colder as they went and Neville shivered a little.

Something came at him from the darkness. A mountain troll, moving faster than Neville would have thought possible. Neville and Flitwick jumped aside as the club crashed down between them. Several stunning spells shot over their head. One struck the troll but he barely seemed to notice. Neville added a Stunning spell of his own while Flitwick nonverbally lit the troll's club on fire. It screamed and dropped the club and that was the last time Neville had a firm grasp on the whole situation.

Another troll came from the darkness, swinging its club horizontally. Neville fell to the ground and the club smashed into the wall. He scrambled backwards into someone who turned out to be Padma Patil. She was shouting something but Neville couldn't make it out. He tuned slightly and saw a dementor stalking through a group of students. It was reaching its hand toward Anthony Goldstein and would touch him in moments.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" Neville shouted. A silver lion shot from the tip of wand and hit the dementor. It was driven into the air and off into the darkness.

His Patronus seemed to start a chain reaction. Silver animals appeared everywhere shooting off toward dementors. Neville let his Patronus go when he realized another mountain troll was coming toward him. Its club was already raised and he was too closed to move. Neville desperately shot off a Stunning Spell as he moved, hoping the club wouldn't hurt him too badly, or even…

The Charm knocked the club from the troll's hand and down the hall. The troll looked confused for a moment before chasing after it. He looked to his right and could see two dementors closing in on Ernie, who had fallen to one knee.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" Neville's patronus sent one dementor away but the other one grabbed Ernie's wrist. It started to pull it's hood back when another Patronus, a horse, hit it dead on. The dementor flew off into the darkness as Ernie collapsed against the wall. He followed the Patronus's path and saw Hannah.

"Duck!" she shouted. Neville threw himself to the ground and Hannah, Terry, and a clearly shaken Ernie shot stunning spells over his head. A clubless mountain troll stumbled backwards into another trolls and they began to scuffle.

Neville grabbed Terry and pulled him over to Ernie, who had gone pale and was still leaning on the wall. "Get him out of here!" Neville shouted over the sounds of the fight. "All the way out!"

"Right!" Terry called back. He pulled Ernie too his feet and more or less pulled Ernie back down the hall with an arm around his waist.

"Levicourpus!" Neville recognized Michael's voice as the caster. The spell lacked the power to pull the troll off the ground but it was able to unbalance it and it fell flat on its 's voice called out an incantation Neville's couldn't make out and ropes appeared and covered the fallen troll, binding him to the ground.

Neville saw two more trolls emerge from the darkness. He couldn't tell if they were fresh or if they'd already been fighting. He tried to recall the wand movements for Levicorpus but the he had a better idea. He summoned up his patronus again and sent it toward the trolls. He stopped it just in front of the one on the left. The Patronus startled him and he stopped and tried to swat it away with his hand. The other one, however, swung its club full force at the silver lion and smashed his fellow troll in the head.

"_Wingadrium Leviosa_!" Flitwick's voice called out from his side. The fallen troll's club sprang from its grip and knocked the other one in the head several times until it, too, fell to the floor. Flitwick hit the troll once more for good measure.

There was no immediate danger around Neville so he took a short breather. The fighting had worn on him greatly; he almost felt like he could fall asleep. He couldn't really tell how the battle was going. One other student was leaning against the wall as she walked back toward the entrance, an arm limp at her side. Three of the trolls were down now and he only saw two dementors. Maybe there were only two… or maybe the others were waiting for the right moment, just out of sight. Or maybe they'd given up.

"Neville, look out!" He saw something coming at him through the darkness. A troll club. He had no chance to move and the club struck him in the side. He felt one of his ribs breaks as he flew through the air. He crashed against the wall and fell to the ground. He saw red jets of light shoot up and strike the troll, disorienting it. It raised it club again but the club turned into a giant, flopping fish. The troll looked at the fish in confusion and several more Stunning spells struck the troll, knocking its head into the wall. It slumped and fell over.

"Neville? Neville?" He heard Hannah's voice. He stood up slowly. His side hurt and he thought his head was bleeding. He tried to speak but only managed a cough. "Neville? I think we found him!"

Neville cleared his throat. "Where?"

"In here!" she called back. "It's locked! It's the only locked one!" He stepped away from the wall. He was unsteady on his feet but he followed Hannah's voice.

"You don't look so good." Terry Boot appeared beside him, back from seeing to Ernie, and put an arm around him. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Neville lied. He could tell he was pretty far from fine but Seamus was so close. And at this point he was going to have to fight his way back out anyway so he might as well do it with Seamus.

"No you're not," Hannah said as they reached her. "I'm taking you out of here."

"No," Neville said. He pulled away from Terry and stood on his own. "We need to get Seamus. We'll all go out together." Hannah tried to pull him along anyway but he wouldn't budge.

"Fine!" she relented.

By then McGonagall had reached them. "Where is the door, Miss Abbot?"

"Here, Professor, this one," she said. "I've tried unlocking it but nothing's worked."

McGonagall stepped past her and tapped her wand on the door. It swung open opposite its hinges. Neville heard her say something about Amycus not being clever enough to charm the whole door and show she should have tried it last time.

"_Lumos_." Neville's wand lit up and he and the others stepped into the room. He could dimly make out the layout of the room- it looked like the Potions classroom, only a bit smaller. Old desks had been shoved into the corner. McGonagall, Hannah, and Terry lit their wand as well and Neville could see to the back of the room where something was laying in a heap on the floor. It took Neville a moment to realize it was Seamus. He was chained to the wall, his ragged clothes barely clinging to his thin frame. He groaned and turned his head away from the light.

"Seamus!" Neville cried. He ran up to him pulled just short of embracing him; Seamus was so weak he worried he might hurt him. He immediately turned to the chains but McGonagall was right behind him. She pointed he wand as the chains and they simply vanished.

"Are…" Seamus said weakly. "No. No, no again. I won't fall for it again just stop…" His voice was barely there. "Go away!"

"What's he saying, Professor?" Neville asked.

"Amycus has been muddling about in his head," she said. "Help him to his feet."

"Will he be alright?"

"He'll be fine if we can get him out of here." But Neville noticed the way she frowned before she spoke. He reached down to help Seamus up but he jerked away. Neville managed to take hold of his arm but Seamus actually pulled away when Neville tried to get him on his feet.

"Seamus," Hannah said softly, crouching next to him. "Seamus, listen. It's really us. All of us. Neville's here, and Terry, and Professor McGonagall." Seamus looked up and studied each of their faces, especially Terry. "Demelza's outside. So's Professor Flitwick and Michael and… everyone. So come on. Let's go."

Seamus seemed to take all this in carefully. "Alright," he said weakly. Hannah took one of his arm and Neville took the other and together they helped him to his feet. Neville couldn't see his legs through the remains of the robes but it didn't seem like he'd be able to stand on his own.

Slowly they got him out of the classroom. The battle outside was not as intense as it was before but two trolls were still on their feet and there were always the dementors. Neville looked for Demelza but he couldn't spot her in the darkness. McGonagall and Terry acted as something of a guard, watching the three of them until they were clear of the battle. He wasn't sure how they made it without incident but somehow they rounded the first bend and Neville could see the school proper at the end of the hall.

"I must go back," McGonagall said.

"Me too. Michael needed help," Terry said. The two of them went back to join the fray while Hannah and Neville carried Seamus down the hall. Neville's side hurt worse than ever but he was determined to make it to the end of the hall and had him off to Anthony and Padma. The end of the corridor came slowly closer and closer.

"Anthony! Padma!" Hannah called as they got near. "We're got him! We need…" he voice trailed off as they left the old west corridor and neither Anthony nor Padma were anywhere in site.

"I don't see them," Neville said. As he spoke a figure stepped out of the shadows, raising a wand.

"Hannah look out!" A red bolt shot from the wand. It struck Hannah in the side, knocking her into the wall. She fell to the floor, leaving a small but bright red stain on the wall.

Without Hannah's help he wasn't able to hold Seamus anymore. Seamus slowly slipped to the floor. Neville fumbled for his wand as the attacker came closer and Neville was finally able to make him out.

"Malfoy." He wasn't very surprised. "What do you want?" He was still trying to reach his wand but it was stuck his pocked somehow.

"It's all your fault," Malfoy said. "If you'd just given up your little game, none of this would have happened."

Neville thought back briefly to the sight of Draco walking the halls alone but forced it from his mind. "Don't act like we started it," he said. He had to keep him talking. "Where's Crabbe and Goyle? Surely you didn't come alone."

"Shut up!" Draco said. He was only a few feet away now. Neville finally got his wand loose and tried to pull it out, but Draco stepped forward and shoved him. Neville lost his balance and fell over, losing his wand in the process.

"I've lost everything because of you and Potter," Draco snarled. He raised his wand and tried to take another step closer but stumbled. He looked down and saw that Seamus, too weak even stand, had grabbed on to Draco's leg. "Get off, Finnigan! You're next!"

Neville took advantage of the moment of distraction. He pulled himself to his, ignoring the stabs of pain from his side. He looked for his wand but he didn't see it. With no other option, Neville lunged forward and tackled Malfoy like a Muggle might do. He took Malfoy down to the ground. Neville got a grip on Malfoy's wrist and smashed it against the floor until Malfoy dropped his wand. But then he struck Neville on his wounded side and Neville lost all his strength. Draco pushed him off and grabbed his wand. He pointed it at Neville and he felt like something was cutting his chest. He looked down and saw that the front of his robe was covered in blood.

"Learned that one from Potter," Draco said with a smirk. "You can thank him for that."

"Harry's coming back," Neville managed to say weakly. "You can compare then." The others would be coming out of the corridor soon… wouldn't they?

"He's dead," Draco said. "He's dead, I saw it over Easter. Fenrir brought him to the Dark Lord and he killed him." Neville's heart sank. He felt his eyes water and his vision blurred. He thought he might have seen a sadness flash across Draco's face but he wasn't sure.

Then Neville sadness turned to anger. "Liar!" he snarled. He pushed his pain away and stood up. Fear ran across Draco's face and he raised his wand. Neville realized standing up was a mistake, he should have looked for his wand first…

"Get away! _Cru_-" He stopped and looked down. Hannah had pulled herself to herself to one knee and poked Draco in the side with her wand.

"_Stupefy_!"

The spell knocked Draco off his feet and into the air. He flew backwards down the corridor and landed on his arm. Neville thought he heard a crunch. Draco tried to move and whimpered from the effort.

"Hannah that was amazing," Neville said, walking over to help her up. "We need to… Merlin's beard, your face!" Hannah reached up and touched her face, which had several trickles of blood running down it.

"No, I'm fine," she said, getting to her feet. "I just need to-" she swayed a little and steadied herself against the wall. Neville walked over to her but found his strength was gone as well.

They heard footsteps coming down the hall. Hannah raised her wand but it was Michael, Terry and Parvati who came around the corner.

"Neville! Hannah!" Michael exclaimed as he rushed over to them.

"What happened?" Parvati asked. Her face was badly bruised and her robes were torn in places but she and the others seemed mostly fine. Hannah pointed her wand at Draco, still laying on the floor by way of response. "Him!"

Michael snorted. "Figures. I ought to…"

"Get Seamus to Madam Pomfrey," Neville said. "And look for Anthony and your sister," he said to Parvati and Terry. "I think Draco did something to them."

Soon the others came around the corner. McGonagall and Flitwick came to attend to them but Neville and Hannah waved them off. Michael and Terry had both been hurt and were struggling with Seamus and wherever Anthony and Padma were, they needed more help than they did. Someone gave Neville his wand back but after that it was all a blur until…

"I think we're the only ones left," Hannah said.

"We are?" Neville looked around. Even Draco had pulled himself away.

"We sent everyone else off."

"That's no good," Neville said. "I don't think I can make it back to the Tower. Too many stairs." He took a deep breath, which hurt his side. "I don't think I could make it to the Hospital Wing. But someone will realize… eventually…"

"My dorm isn't too far away. You could stay there tonight."

In spite of everything, Neville still felt the blood rush to head. He thought he might actually black out for a moment but it passed. "Is that… a good idea?"

"It'll be fine, Neville," Hannah insisted. "And you said it yourself, you can't make it anywhere else."

"Alright," Neville said at last. "Let's go."

Hannah led Neville through the corridors to the statue of the witch. Hannah held her hand on its shoulder and the passageway opened up. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and he wasn't able to take much in about their common room besides the fact that there was a lot of yellow. Then a memory came to him of when Ron and Harry tried to follow Hermione into her dorm.

"Wait, the…stairs, I'll fall…"

"What stairs?" Hannah asked. She led him into a hall lined with doors and went into the first one on the left. "Come on. Lay down." She led him to a bed and he practically fell onto it. The last thing he remembered was feeling her lay against him before he fell asleep.


	26. Chapter 26: Control

Chapter Twenty-Six: Control

Following the return of Seamus, Gryffindor Tower had pretty much been a permanent party. Anyone who wasn't too injured to stand was taking part (which was everyone but Seamus, somewhat ironically). Even so, he still managed to be the center of attention, sitting on one of the squashy armchairs in the middle of the room with Demelza.

When Neville stumbled in after treatment from Madam Pomfrey he and Hannah were practically pulled into the center of things with a resounding cheer. Almost everyone from the previous night was there, excepting for the teachers, Anthony, and Padma; Draco had done a real number on the latter two.

"There's even a little more good news," Michael said. "They might not even realize Seamus is gone. The trolls aren't likely to tell, are they? The dementors neither. We're in the clear as long as Seamus stays out of sight. And he could use the time to recover, anyway."

"I don't think so," Neville said. "Draco was there. He'll tell."

"Oh." Michael's face darkened a little.

"Don't worry about it right now," Neville said, looking around at the crowd. "No need to bring everyone down yet."

"Right," Michael said. "Come on, Seamus is over here. He's been asking about you."

Neville turned to Hannah. "I'm going to talk to Seamus. I'll find you later."

"Alright." Hannah smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you." She spotted Ernie and some of the other Hufflepuffs and went over to them.

Seamus was sitting in one of the squashy armchairs near the stairs to his dormitory. A lot of students were gathered around him, with Demelza actually perched on the arm of the chair, an arm slung around Seamus's shoulder. She looked happier than she had in weeks. And Seamus him was grinning too, though he was still thin and dirty. But he brightened even more when he saw Neville walking toward him. It made him look almost back to normal.

"Help me up," Seamus said to Demelza. She got to her feet and helped pull Seamus up while the crowd around him gave him room to stand. Seamus kept an arm around Demelza's shoulder and Neville could tell she was taking most of his weight.

Before he'd even thought about it Neville had pulled Seamus against him. Demelza got pulled in too but she managed to disentangle herself. They were both still injured and the hug hurt but Neville didn't care. He eventually loosened the hug but Seamus renewed it and they didn't part until Seamus actually groaned a little.

"I'm glad you're safe," Neville said softly as he let Seamus go.

"Me too," Seamus said with a smile.

"I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to keep this up without you."

"Seems like you did just fine."

"I was close to falling apart." Even so Neville managed a small smile in return.

"I won't be able to really… do much for a while," Seamus said. He gestured to Demelza. "I can't even stand up without her." Neville noticed that Demelza had slipped back in and was again supporting Seamus.

"Doesn't matter," Neville said. Seamus nodded in reply. He looked over to Demelza. "Why don't you use a levitation charm or something?"

"They did something to him. Most spells fizzle out when they touch him. The helpful spells, anyway. Michael's trying to figure out what it might be."

"I'm sure he'll find something."

"He will," Demelza said matter of factly.

By now the small crowd he dissipated so as to give Neville and Seamus some privacy. Seamus took advantage of that fact when he learned forward and spoke. "So where were you last night? You didn't come into the room, and I think I saw you walk in with Hannah."

Neville felt his face grow warm but he was, at the same time, relieved. Just having Seamus ask him about Hannah was reassuring in a way that simply seeing him wasn't. It was like he knew it was really Seamus, and that Seamus was ok.

"I was hurt. We were. Hurt, we were both hurt," Neville stammered. "Her room was closer than the Hospital Wing or, here so we, we just, everyone else was here, but just stayed in her room." He was hoping Seamus wouldn't press it.

"So you two are an item now, huh?" Seamus said. "Glad you finally got the guts to do something about it."

"It was mostly her, actually," Neville said.

"Well, go on, tell me about, I can tell you want to."

Neville filled Seamus in on everything that had happened with him and Hannah over the last few weeks. The celebration was starting to die down a little by the time he wrapped everything up.

"We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey," Demelza said, looking at the thinning crowd. "I think they'll finally let you leave now."

"Alright, I'll go," Seamus said, weakly throwing his hands up. "Nev, can you give us a hand?" Demelza nodded in agreement and together they got Seamus to his feet and across the room. Getting him out of the portrait hole was a tricky prospect but soon enough he was well on his way to the Hospital Wing.

The Wing proved to be far from empty. Besides Anthony and Padma, a few others were laid up with some injuries from their detentions. Michael had to come to see Anthony and Padma, sitting up in two beds near the door; he must have slipped out while Neville had been talking with Seamus. He waved to them just as Madam Pomfrey swept down on them.

"Great Merlin, you don't look like you've eaten since… oh, your face! And your leg, oh, it looks like it's been broken! Get in this bed you shouldn't be standing." Madam Pomfrey pulled him away from Neville and Demelza and put him in the nearest bed. Neville moved to follow him over but Michael's voice stopped him.

"Neville," he called from the side of Anthony's bed. "Hey, come here a second."

"Hey," Neville greeted as he walked over. "I was going to come say hi but I wanted to make sure Seamus was alright first."

"It's fine," Padma said with a small smile. Anthony simply waved his hand.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," Neville said. "I didn't really think anything would happen. If I had…"

"We all knew there were risks," Anthony said.

"And anyway, it's no worse than a detention," Padma agreed. "We could have left hours ago, but you know how Madam Pomfrey is."

"That's good, then," Neville said. "Well, I'm going to go check on Seamus but I'll come back in a minute."

"There's something else, Neville," Michael said.

"Let me show you. Try to stay quiet." He led Neville to one of the bed closed off by curtains. He took a quick look around to see that Madam Pomfrey was occupied and ducked inside the curtain. Neville followed.

Professor Flitwick was laying out on the bed, unconscious and bruised. There were bandages wrapped around one of his shoulders and legs. "Merlin's beard…" Neville said softly. "What happened?"

"Anthony and Padma saw him brought in about an hour ago," Michael explained. "Filch found him outside his office like that."

"The Carrows… or Snape," Neville muttered. "I thought you said they wouldn't find out."

"I didn't think they would," Michael said. "I don't know… maybe they needed more information from him. I figured we had at least a day or so."

Neville suddenly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "McGonagall," he said. "And… everyone. Merlin… I have to tell them. Everyone." He looked to Michael. "Don't leave alone, without Demelza. Both of you stick together and tell everyone you can. I'm going for McGonagall and Sprout."

Michael nodded. He and Neville ducked out of the curtains. Madam Pomfrey said something to Neville as he left the room but he didn't look back. He wanted to say bye to Seamus but he knew he didn't have time. He might already be too late, if Flitwick had been attacked at least an hour ago. But he had to try anyway. He began to sprint toward the Greenhouses, figuring Professor Sprout would be tending to the plants.

He left the castle he saw Amycus and Alecto walking back toward it. He swore under his breath and ducked back inside and into a broom closet.

"Last one now," he heard Amycus said. "They've been thorns in our side for far too long, but now they will know they cannot cross us."

"Whatever," Alecto's voice said.

_Sprout. They got to Sprout. McGonagall's next._ Did he go see Sprout, or try to catch up and help McGonagall? He decided on McGonagall. Anyone could tell Filch or Madam Pomfrey about Sprout but McGonagall would need him fast. He tried to think if there was a faster route to McGonagall's office but his mind pulled a blank on the castle layout. He would just have to follow them. He has just reached the stairs when he voice called out to him.

"Neville!" He turned to the sound of Hannah's voice and saw her coming down the stairs on the other side.

"Hannah!"

"Michael told us what was going on," she said between breaths. "I came to help."

"Go to the Greenhouses," Neville said. "They already got Sprout."

Hannah stopped dead, her face going pale. "They…" she trailed off. "Merlin."

"I think they're going for McGonagall next. I'm going to help her."

"I'll come with you," she said, taking a step forward.

"No," Neville said with a shake of his head. "Sprout needs help. Go! Now!" He turned to run up the stairs and didn't hear Hannah follow.

When he reached McGonagall's office he found it deserted. The door had been forced open and her desk had been pushed back against the wall. But it didn't really look like there had been a fight though. More like they had been frustrated they hadn't found her.

Where were her personal chambers? Had he ever been there? He didn't think so. Then Alecto's voice drifted from down the hall and Neville took after it. Soon he caught sight of them rounding a corner and slowed down. His chest was hurting and he was breathing hard. He didn't think there was much point in trying to get ahead of them anyway since he didn't know where they were going. He would just have to come at them from behind once they got there. And if he didn't catch his breath it would be hard to cast spells properly; he never really gotten the hang of non-verbal incantations.

He finally caught up with them just outside McGonagall's door. Amycus tried opening it by hand but it was locked.

"Allow me," Alecto said. "_Reducto_!" The door shattered into splinters. McGonagall shouted something from within as Alecto rushed inside. Amycus walked more slowly, apparently wanting to make an entrance.

"_Stupefy_!" A red jet of light shot from Neville's wand. Amycus looked to him and snarl came over his face.

"_Protego_!" Amycus called back with a swipe of his wand. Neville's spell bounded harmlessly away.

"You. Longbottom." Amycus' snarl became more of a smile. "We were going to see to you today as well. You've been a problem for far too long!" Amycus cast a spell that Neville didn't recognize. Neville ducked behind as suit of armor and it sailed past. "I don't know what else I can try!" Another spell struck the armor, knocking it to pieces and leaving Neville exposed. "Nothing worked! Everything I tried, every trap I laid and you refused to give up, you stupid little boy!" More spells came at him as Neville fired off a few of his own. He threw up a Shield Charm just in time to deflect a purple spell.

"_Dissimate_!" Amycus shouted. An orange spell hit Neville's shield and instantly destroyed it.

"_Pyrus_!" Neville shouted. A stream of fire shot from his wand. Amycus backed away. "_Aguamenti_!" Water shot from his wand, dousing Neville's flame.

"Foolish child, you- ag!" A suit of armor struck Amycus into the chest and knocked him to the floor. Neville held it magically in place to stall him but he couldn't think of what to do next.

"Eagh!" Amycus blew the armor apart, scattering the pieces around the hallway. "You'll have to do much better than that, boy." Amycus got to his feet, an animalistic snarl on his face.

"_Pyrus_!" Neville tried again out of desperation. This somehow seem to infuriate Amycus even more.

"_Cyro_!" Amycus countered. Ice shot from the tip of his wand this time. It extinguished the fire and then travelled up Neville wand and covered it and his arm in a solid block of ice up to his shoulder. He couldn't move his arm, let alone cast a spell.

"Ha," Amycus said weakly. He looked tired and a bit singed from the last fire spell. "You see? You can't do anything. You're just a child. And I still have a few lessons to teach you." Neville almost groaned at the remark, in spite of his situation.

"I am not a student." Amycus and Neville's head turned toward the sound of McGonagall voice. A trickle of blood ran from a cut on her cheek and there was no sign of Alecto.

Amycus' wand shot toward her but McGonagall was faster. A blue spell struck Amycus in the chest. He flew against the wall and stuck there, frozen in place.

"Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall said. "Are you alright?" She took a step toward him and her leg buckled under her. She caught herself on the wall and straightened herself out.

"Professor," Neville said. He could movie his arm as he walked toward her and the ice and starting to weight him down. McGonagall was fine, however. She tapped her wand on his arm and the ice began to melt. She stood straight as the last of the ice melted and she inspected his arm but she favored her bad leg.

"Thank you, Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall said softly. "I think it is time for both of us to visit the Hospital Wing once again."

"Good idea," Neville agreed. He looked back at Amycus as they walked away. "What about them?"

"I daresay Filch will come along," she said with a small smile. "Eventually." Neville laughed out loud. "What?" she asked.

"You just reminded me of Professor Dumbledore."

.

For the next week all the students were on guard. They were expecting some sort of fallout. Neville, in particular, was expecting any minute to be jumped by Draco or Ted Nott and a crowd of Slytherins at every moment, or perhaps simply by Amycus and Alecto themselves.

But nothing happened. Not to him, not to anyone else. Only Nott commented when Seamus returned to class a few days later (though the looks Draco gave them two of them could have killed.) Neville wasn't sure if the Carrows were licking their wounds or if they were planning some sort of revenge… and he decided to not find out. He called a very small DA meeting with a big plan in mind.

"The Desensulator," Neville said to the gathered students. "I want to destroy it."

"Great idea," Seamus agreed from a bed the Room had supplied for him. He was still not fully recovered.

"It is," Neville went on. "It's a symbol of their power over us. The pain from detention fades, or you get used to it. Everything except for that. It sticks with you for days, or… longer."

"Yeah it's a good plan but how will you get it?" Lavender Brown asked.

"We're going to walk right into their room and take it," Neville said. "Their room, or wherever they keep it. I'm tired of all this hiding. It makes it seem like we're afraid and we don't need them thinking that."

"Besides, you did get in a fight with Amycus Carrow the other day," Seamus pointed out, "so it's not really a secret anymore."

"Good point," Neville said with a smile.

"Hey, I have a question," Michael said. "Is this place safe?"

Neville looked around the room.

"The truth is, I'm not sure. That's why I only have the six of you here." Two from each house, plus himself. "We're not completely sure how the Room of Requirement works. But I think if we specifically need it to keep the Carrows and whoever out, it will. I think that whoever's in the Room takes precedence. And if someone else were already in the Room, we wouldn't be able to get inside." Neville paused to let that sink in. "However, keep in mind that Draco, at the least, knew about the Room before the start of this year but they weren't able to get in until they were disguised. So I think that means they won't be able to get in. But really, all we can do is wait."

"That's comforting," Padma Patil said wryly.

"I know," Neville said. "But that's the best we can do for now." He looked over them. "Take the word back to your houses. This could be very dangerous, or it could be a walk in the park. It depends on if the Carrows are around when we come calling. Make sure everyone knows that."

After that there were no other questions so Neville ended the meeting. Hannah came up to him as they were leaving and took his arm.

"How do you feel?" he asked her. He was having a hard time reading her expression.

"I dunno. It's exciting, but in a nerve wracking kind of way."

"Well, that's what we're all about, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Hannah said with a small laugh. "So what are you up to till then?"

"I don't know. I'm kind of bad at waiting." He scratched the back of his head.

"Want to go down to the kitchen and see if we can convince the House Elves to give us some early dessert?"

"That is an amazing idea," Neville said with a huge grin.

.

Neville was a little sad to see that several of the younger DA members hadn't shown up. It was possible that some of them just had homework- Neville had been adamant about the younger students keeping up with their studies- in the classes that weren't run by the Carrows anyway. He was hoping they would grow up into a world where they wouldn't have to fight, he supposed.

All day he'd had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Draco had said that Harry was dead. Malfoy couldn't be trusted, of course, but he didn't always lie either…

In the end, he'd elected to keep it to himself. Hannah hadn't mentioned anything about it and he'd assumed she'd been too out of it after hitting her head to make sense of what Draco was saying and Seamus still half-thought he was dreaming it all at that point.

Eventually, though, the appointed hour came and they all met outside the Room of Requirement. While he was waiting, he thought that they should set up schedule to watch the Room and see if anyone else ever went in, and what happened when they did.

The others showed up soon after. Anthony and Padma were still a bit off from Draco's attack so Michael and Terry attached themselves to Neville and Lavender; Parvati had stayed behind to look after Seamus.

Along with the four of them were Hannah, Ernie, and Susan, all looking eager. Susan especially looked ready to fight, which was difficult for her. There were also several younger students from all the houses, most of whom Neville recognized but couldn't name.

"Alright. The plan is pretty simple. We hit their private chambers. I can't imagine that they'd keep the Desensulator anywhere else. But if it's not there, we'll try their office." He looked over the DA members, about twenty-five in all. They'd never moved in a group this large before, but they'd never actually been looking for a fight before either. "Any questions? No? Alright, let's get going."

Terry and Susan donned invisibility cloaks to scout ahead and behind but Neville didn't really expect to run in to anything besides Filch. As they walked through the dark halls of Hogwarts, Neville wished that Seamus was at his side. Seamus and Ginny, and Luna, and Harry and Ron and Hermione.

"A real fight with the Carrows," Michael whispered as they walked. "I'm excited."

"Only if we're unlucky," Neville said. In spite of their numbers, Neville was still quite nervous.

"Fighting the trolls and Dementors wasn't much fun," Lavender pointed out.

"But it was exciting," Michael replied.

"Fair enough."

Neville chuckled a little. "I know what you mean though."

"I think we all do. The trolls and Dementors were one thing, but I've actually had dreams of hitting Alecto Carrow in the face with a Stunning Charm," Michael said. "Among others."

Neville understood the feeling. He'd been somewhat shocked during his fight with Amycus. But, though he did not consider himself a violent person, the memory of the fight had quickly become sweet.

Hannah came up beside Neville while they had been talking. She tugged on his arm and he fell back a little to walk alongside her.

"I know what you're going to say," she said, "but I have to ask. You know I do. Are you sure this is a good idea? Right now, I mean? With Padma, Anthony, and Seamus still out we're not at full strength. And you're still hurt."

"I'm fine," Neville insisted.

Hannah poked him in the side where his rib was still a little bruised and he winced noticeably. "No, you're not."

"Ok, I'm not," Neville agreed.

"But we still need to do it tonight."

"Yes," Neville said. "They've tried to break us so many times. We need to let them know that even when we're down… we're not down for good."

"I know," Hannah said, smiling a little. "I just worry. It's what I do."

"Someone should. Gryffindors don't worry nearly enough." Hannah smiled a little wider and wrapped her arms around his.

She only pulled away when they got close to the Carrows chambers. Terry and Susan took off and stowed their cloaks while everyone drew their wands. He made a quick head count to make sure nothing had happened along the way before marching up to the Carrows door.

He didn't bother listening in or knocking, just raised his wand. "_Reducto_!" The door shattered the splinters and the DA poured in. Their room was deserted. Looking at it, it was clear which Carrow occupied which side of the room. The left side had an unmade bed, clothes strewn about the floor and a bottle of Firewhiskey tucked under the bed. The right side, by contrast, had a neatly made bed with clean sheets, a spotless floor, and a corked bottle of shimmering cider on the bedside table (though Neville spotted a bottle of oakmeade not so cunningly concealed under his bed.)

Ernie and Terry had already gone forward, searching the room. The Desensulator was not well hidden; Ernie found it almost instantly in the top drawer of Amycus' bedside table.

"Careful!" Neville said as Ernie was reaching for it. "It might be hexed!"

"Oh, right," Ernie said, pulling away. Neville walked up it and looked it over. Even stuck in a drawer with old papers and a few things Neville tried to not look at, it still seemed menacing. He tapped it carefully with his wand, nonverbally casting a counter-jinx that Flitwick had taught them. There was no reaction, but Neville didn't think there was supposed to be. He tried to sense any other trace of magic on the device but he didn't feel a thing. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the Desensulator.

Nothing happened. Neville let out his breath and heard others do the same behind him. It almost seemed like it had gone too smoothly but Neville didn't want to think about that. "Let's go," he said.

The DA quickly filed out into the hall. Susan and Terry quickly donned their cloaks again. Neville heard their footsteps off down the hall, followed the two knocks on the wall that indicated it was clear.

"Everyone back to your own Houses. We don't have enough cloaks to go around so just be careful," Neville ordered. The DA members broke up into their Houses and scattered, heading back to their towers. Neville was joined by Lavender and some of the younger Gryffindors. Neville had the Desensulator tucked under his arm, at once both happy to have it and not wanting to touch it.

'This is just so great," Lavender said. "I hate that thing so much. What are you going to do with it?"

"I'm not sure," Neville admitted. "I'll probably stow in the Room of Requirement for now. Then maybe drop it out my window or something."

Lavender laughed. "The rest of the year is going to be great. I can feel it," she said. But Neville found it hard to share in her giddiness. He felt like it had been too easy. Not like it was a trap or anything; he had the feeling Amycus was done with traps. More like that he just didn't care about the Desensulator anymore, and that worried Neville in a way that was hard to voice.


	27. Chapter 27: Unforgiveable

Chapter Twenty- Seven: Unforgiveable

Nothing happened at breakfast the next day. Neville had expected… something. But not a word from the Carrows. No thinly concealed venom from Amycus, no outbursts from Alecto. Snape wasn't even there. The DA almost seemed carefree as they ate, though, Neville still had a sense of impending dread that followed him throughout the morning.

After Transfiguration he bumped into Michael Corner, who was grinning broadly.  
"I got detention!" he said.

"And you're happy about it?" Neville asked quizzically.

"Neville, I don't think they've realized it's gone!" He laughed a little.

Neville's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"He didn't breathe a word about it! Nothing!"

"Good," Neville said, his mood lightening somewhat. "That's good. I'll see you later."

Neville walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts, his mind still whirling, but now in a more optimistic direction. Perhaps he had been paranoid for nothing. Amycus was not in the room when Neville got there, though, which was he a little unusual; he liked to glare at his students from his desk as they walked in.

He swept into the room just as class started, a grin on his face that nearly sent a shudder down Neville's spine. He strode to the front of the room, walked around his desk, planted his hands on it and leaned forward.

"Class," Amycus said jovially, "I have some wonderful news! I have finally gotten approval to make some adjustments to the course curriculum. Effective immediately, this class will now focus on studying the Dark Arts, rather than Defense."

A stunned silence fell over the class. No one knew how to react until Neville spoke.

"What the hell is this?" he shouted, standing up from his seat. Amycus flicked his wand and Neville was pushed back into his seat, but the rest of the class was shouting now too. Amycus held his wand into the air and a loud crack sounded through the room, silencing it.

Amycus spoke as the students began settling back into their chairs. "Do not presume to address me as an equal, Longbottom," Amycus said. "Detention. For the rest of the week." His eyes darted over the rest of the class, which seemed on the verge of getting loud again. "And the same for anyone else who speaks!"

Neville wished he'd rested his ribs more. He would have spoken against Amycus again, even now, but it hurt badly for him to breathe, let alone speak, and he spent the rest of the class leaning on his desk.

Meanwhile, Amycus showed the class some low level Curses- spells designed to break limbs, inflict fatigue, or just plain cause pain. He demonstrated each spell on students, leaving a young Gryffindor boy with a broken arm and Lavender Brown too fatigued to even raise her head. Luckily Amycus became rather engrossed in his lesson. He didn't seem to care that both Neville and Lavender had their heads down. And more, he lost track of time and they never got around to practicing the spells themselves. Once or twice, Neville tried to work up the strength to stand up and object, but every time the pain was too much. He wondered if Amycus had added a little something to the spell that had pushed him back in to his seat, or if having your ribs broken really hurt that much.

The class ended after what seemed like an eternity. Parvati helped Neville to his feet and then the two of them were able to rouse Lavender. She seemed barely conscious. He looked to Amycus, thinking to ask him to counter the spell, or at least ask how long it would last. But the smug grin on Amycus' face as he watched the three of them struggle from the room told Neville all he needed to know.

Just outside Neville looked at Parvati. "Are you alright?" she asked. "We've got Charms next. Flitwick might be able to help her."

"I'm fine," Neville lied. He wasn't fine but he could make it to the Hospital Wing. "Can you get her there yourself?"

"I can walk," Lavender said sleepily. "It's just so hard…" she trailed off and swayed a little.

"Alright," Parvati said doubtfully. "Use your coin if you need help."

"I will." Parvati gave him a last look as he walked down the hall. Neville slowed his pace to something more manageable when she passed from sight, heading for the Hospital Wing.

.

A bit of Skele-Grow had helped Neville's ribs feel much better, though Madam Pomfrey told him he had to take is easy for a few days, as a certain amount of natural healing was still required. She gave him a small amount of Numbroot to help dull the lingering pain. She further insisted he stay all afternoon and Neville didn't have the energy to fight her on it. Happily, he wound up in the bed next to Seamus.

"Well hey there, Nev," Seamus grinned, sounding better than ever. "What brings you here?"

"Troll wound," Neville said, pointing to his side.

"Ah," Seamus said, his grin fading slightly. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," Neville said. "You're looking a lot better."

"Feeling better too," Seamus agreed, then lowered his voice. "I reckon Madam Pomfrey might let me out by the end of the year." They both shared a laugh at that.

"It's what she does," Neville said. He looked over to the corner where the curtain still covered one bed. "How is she?"

"Better today," Seamus said. "They did a number on her head. She's been sleeping a lot, but less and less each day."

Neville said nothing. He was glad Flitwick hadn't had any serious injuries, but he liked Sprout. They weren't especially close- it was hard, what with them being in different Houses- but she was probably his favorite teacher in the school. He again felt a pang of guilt that he hadn't gotten to her sooner, though the rational part of his mind knew there wasn't much more he could have done.

"Hey, she's going to be fine. Madam Pomfrey is the best nurse in all of England," Seamus said. "Ernie came in earlier and they were joking around and stuff."

"That's good," Neville said glumly.

"Speaking of Hufflepuffs, is there anything new with you and Hannah?"

Neville couldn't help but smile at Seamus's awkward attempt to change the topic.

"Not really. I mean, we've been busy with DA stuff, you know?" But thinking of her did help take his mind of Sprout, so he went on. "She's been a big help to me these past few weeks though. Really helped me get through. Especially since Ginny left." Neville jerked his head back to Seamus. "You heard about that, right?"

"Yeah," Seamus said. "Any idea what happened there?"

"The official story is that her parents kept her home to be safe," Neville said. "I think she might have joined up with Harry and the others."

"I see," Seamus said. "Is there any word on them?"

Neville thought about what Draco had told him, but shook his head. "Just rumors on Potterwatch. Nothing substantial."

"The Carrows… they told me Harry was dead. That they were all dead and that Ginny had run away."

Neville's heart went cold. Hearing one of his deepest fears repeated out loud was a shock, but he kept his expression blank as best he could.

"They were just trying to trick you. Break you," Neville said. "Like they did with me when they were impersonating you. They're trying to make us think that our friends are dead, or have abandoned us."

"Of course," Seamus said. "So it was too dangerous for Ginny?" Neville nodded. "Maybe we'd all bets clear out then."

"Ah, but then who would Amycus have to torture? Alecto and Snape?" Neville paused and to let that thought sink in, then grinned. "We'll start clearing out tonight."

.

Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep Neville till dinner, but he told her he had detention and she consented to let him go. He promised to come back the following day so she could check on his ribs.

He really wasn't looking forward to the detention. His ribs were feeling much better and he had taken a little Numbroot but he was worried Alecto would break them all over again. And though the thought of not having to deal with the Desensulator was nice, the Carrows would probably be in poor temper when they realized it was missing.

Neville was surprised to see several Slytherins waiting in a small group when he arrived. He'd never seen a single Slytherin get detention all year, but now Nott, Crabbe, Pansy, and several others were standing outside. Draco was there as well, a little off of the main group.

The Carrows arrived a few minutes later. As the students all filed into the room, Neville noticed that they didn't seem to be angry. If anything, they seemed… eager. Neville didn't like that at all. The Slytherins lined up against the wall in front of the room while the other students sat down.

Once all the students were seated, Amycus began speaking. "It seems that someone stole our Desensulator last night," Amycus began, "no doubt hoping to make these detentions a little easier on themselves. Or perhaps they simply don't wish for those who break the rules to be punished.

"In any case, it no longer matters. Though watching you all stumble around and shout was a great source of amusement, we now have something better. I recently gained authorization to use a different punishment, one that I think will be far more effective. Longbottom!" Neville started at his name. "To the front of the room."

Neville stood up and calmly walked to the front of the room. He didn't let any of his fear show as he stood directly in front of Amycus. Amycus smiled as Neville reached the front of the room, but it was Alecto who moved.

"_Crucio_!" She screamed.

Neville wouldn't really be able to find the words for the pain when he described it later. It felt like every horrible thing he had ever experienced at one, magnified a hundred times. That was what he would say, anyway, but somehow, it didn't get the point across. The worst pain came from his ribs, which felt like they had broken again. But in a strange way, that helped. By focusing on that pain he was able to sort of drown out the rest and while it was still painful, it was a pain he could understand.

"My sister has a bit more skill with this particular Curse," he heard Amycus say. A moment later the pain stopped. "It is somewhat taxing, even on her, to keep this spell up for more than a few minutes. But ah, a solution." He gestured and Nott walked closer. "Why don't we let my sister rest and allow some of our brightest students and future leaders a chance to practice? Mister Nott, you may begin."

Nott stepped forward with more than a little swagger. He pointed his wand right at Neville's forehead. "Crucio!"

Nott wasn't as good with the spell as Alecto but it was still the second most painful thing Neville had ever experienced. He wasn't able to keep it up as long either, nor were any of the ones who came after him, but it was still enough to make Neville scream. The pain made it hard to think, but one thought still managed to find its way into his head: this was what happened to his parents. This is the agony they endured for hours, and from people who were much better at it…

"And finally," Amycus' voice said when the pain stopped again. "Mr. Malfoy."

Neville managed to catch the look on Draco's face and knew that his was going to be the worst.

He had the feeling that Alecto was more proficient at the spell, but with Draco it was personal. He recalled the things Draco had said when they'd fought outside the old West Corridor. He hadn't paid them much mind since then, but now he remembered and he knew Draco was blaming Neville for his current situation, and perhaps for a few other things as well. Alecto might enjoy causing pain, but Draco actually wanted to hurt Neville specifically.

"Enough, Draco," Neville heard Amycus say what seemed like an eternity later. But the pain did not stop; if anything it intensified. He felt splinters under his nails, his skin being pulled off and burned, and above all the pain in his ribs so intense he was sure his organs were being pulled out.

"Draco!" the pain ended and Neville saw Amycus push Draco against the wall, breaking the spell. It was the only time Neville ever grateful for Amycus. Draco himself, though, looked terrible. He was shaking and sweating and somehow looked even paler than usual. He looked down at Neville and Neville saw the anger fade and become something more like confusion.

"I got carried away," Draco said flatly. "I think I've exhausted myself, Professor. May I leave?"

"Of course Draco," Amycus said. "I know how easily one can become overexcited when performing that particular curse. It can be tiring at first." Some of the Slytherins sniggered as Draco left the room, but Draco seemed not to notice.

By now, Neville had somehow struggled to his feet. It hurt his ribs to stand- though mercifully it seemed the other effects of the Cruciatus Curse hadn't done anything permanent- after the agony he had just been in, it felt like nothing. He slowly walked back to his seat while the next student was called. Neville fully intended to try and offer some sort of encouragement to him and the other students, but as soon as he sat at in the desk he blacked out.

.

By the time he came to, he was the only one in the room. Both the students and their tormentors were gone. Neville had no idea what time it was. He tried to stand and found that his ribs had somehow become more painful while he was out. Summoning up some reserve of energy he painfully forced himself out of the desk, then leaned on it and just breathed for a while.

He hoped that the fact that everyone else had gone meant that no one had gotten it as bad as him, that they had all been well enough to walk after. He wondered why no one stayed before realizing Amycus probably wouldn't have allowed it; he was clearly trying to make an example out of Neville once again.

He thought about going right to the Hospital Wing but dismissed the thought; it was too far from where he was. Then he thought about Gryffindor Tower, but that was also far. He thought about Hannah and the Hufflepuffs, but he didn't trust himself to go down that many stairs without falling and hurting himself worse. It would have to be Ravenclaw Tower.

The walk seemed to take forever, even though it was only one floor up and a few corridors away. He kept expecting Draco, or Nott, or Amycus himself to pop out from behind a counter and hurt him more. But he didn't see anyone, not even Peeves, and soon he was standing outside the Tower entrance unsure of what to do next. He had deliberately not paid attention that night he and Ginny had walked with Padma and now he was regretting it. There was clearly a door there, but it had no obvious way to open it. No doorknob or keyhole, just a bronze knocker, shaped like an eagle. There was probably some sort of password. With no other option he reached for the knocker when it spoke to him.

"Tell me this, young one: are you wise?" It came so suddenly that Neville would likely have jumped, had he the energy. But right now, the very act of trying to get his head around this question seemed to make him hurt more. It didn't seem like the sort of thing that could have a right answer, yet there had to be one.

"I don't know," Neville said wearily.

"Knowing how little ones knows is the first step to wisdom," the eagle said, and the door swung open.

The Ravenclaw common room was quieter than the Gryffindor one and it went dead silent as Neville stumbled in leaning on the wall.

"Neville?" Michael's voice came from somewhere but Neville couldn't raise up his head.

"Michael," Neville said back. Neville heard a clatter and Michael and several other Ravenclaws were propping him up.

"Great Merlin, what happened?" Michael asked as they set Neville down in a chair. "Were you attacked?"

"Detention," Neville said. "They used the… the Cruciatus Curse."

"Bloody hell." Michael's eyes went wide. "We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey."

"Yes," Neville said. "Just let me sit here a moment…"

If Michael made a response, Neville didn't hear it. He was already passed out.

.

When he awoke in the Hospital Wing he had, once again, been put in the bed next to Seamus. This time she didn't even ask what had happened to him, just gave him several potions to swallow that made his ribs feel better and gave him back a small measure of energy.

"Bloody hell, Nev. You look awful." Seamus went quiet for a moment. "Did they find out about the Desensulator?"

"Yes," Neville said. "But they didn't care. They're just using the Cruciatus Curse now. On everyone." Seamus had nothing to say. He just stared at Neville, eyes wide, his mouth a thin line. Neville lay back in his bed. "I think I've made things worse."

.

Seamus continually tried to reassure Neville as they convalesced. It wasn't the Desensulator, Neville thought; they'd been itching for the chance to perform Unforgiveables. Likely they'd have just gone and done both the Cruciatus and the Desensulator if Neville hadn't taken it.

Neville was let out the following morning just after breakfast. And after some convincing from both Neville and Demelza, Madam Pomfrey had finally consented to allow Seamus to leave, provided he came by every evening after dinner so she could check on him. Seamus readily agreed and so the three of them walked to Gryffindor Tower together. They passed a group of Hufflepuffs, one of whom had been in detention the previous day. They glared at Neville as he went past and pangs of guilt shot up from Neville's stomach.

The reception in Gryffindor Tower was much warmer. Most of the attention was directed at Seamus, but more than a few people had been concerned when Neville hadn't shown up after detention the previous day.

"We tried to come get you," Parvati explained. "Amycus told the younger kid to just leave you there so they came and got us, but you were gone by the time we got there."

"It's alright," Neville said. "I got to Ravenclaw Tower and they got me to Madam Pomfrey."

"Thank Merlin." Parvati breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you might be lying in the halls somewhere. Or worse." She shook her head to clear her thoughts before checking on Seamus.

Neville wanted nothing more than to go and lay down in his bed for the rest of the day but he knew he couldn't just yet. He let the fervor die down a little before standing up to speak.

"I guess you may have figured that a regular detention didn't keep me in the Hospital Wing overnight." He took a deep breath. "They've changed it up. They're…" he trailed off and pursed his lips before continuing. "They're using the Cruciatus Curse. Nothing else. Just that." There were some gasps, but most faces wore a look of depressed resignation. "We need to be more careful. Don't talk out in class; it's not worth it. Tell everyone else, we need to keep a lower profile. It's worse than you can imagine and if they do it long enough it can… mess you up." He felt that the last comment went a little limp, but he thought he might break down if he went into more detail. "So just be careful. Stay out of detention."

People moved out of his way as he walked up to his room in silence.

.

The next morning, Neville was walking alone to breakfast. He'd thought about walking with Seamus and Demelza, but decided he'd rather have some time alone. He figured he was safe; if Amycus, Alecto, or anyone else wanted to hurt him, they'd do so in detention that afternoon. He was rounding a corner when a figure stepped out in front of him. Neville drew his wand immediately but his wrist was pinned against the wall and a wand was in front of his face.

"Stop," Dolohov said, tightening his grip on Neville's wrist. He sounded annoyed. "Stop or I'll break your wrist." Neville relaxed his arm but remained ready to move again if Dolohov dropped his guard for even a second.

"You've been a big problem here," Dolohov said. "You know, we almost dealt with you a while ago. But when the Weasley girl went missing, the Dark Lord didn't think you would be any trouble. Me, I always knew better." Neville said nothing, just met Dolohov's cold eyes and kept his arm limp. "You have a lot of your parents in you. Including the fact that you aren't afraid to end up like them." Dolohov made a face that might have been disgust. "I wouldn't want that for you, or any blood traitor. But it's not my decision." Neville felt a wave of fear wash over him. But then Dolohov lowered his wand and let go of Neville's wrist. He tried to move for his own wand but his arm was heavy and unresponsive. "The Dark Lord himself thought you might be useful. I think he still holds a small hope that you might, which is why I'm not going to kill you."

"He's a fool."

"Yes," Dolohov said. "But a powerful and stubborn one." Dolohov put his wand away, which somehow troubled Neville even more. "He wants you intact," Dolohov went on, "but only you. Your grandmother is a different story."

Neville's stomach sank while his heart jumped to his throat. "What?"

"We're taking her," Dolohov said. "And you will be a good little boy from now on."

Dolohov smiled lightly. "Won't you?"

Neville was speechless. Dolohov was walking away. Neville half tried to hex him but he couldn't convince his arm to move or his mouth to make sounds. They'd taken Luna to keep her father in line but Neville never imagined that they'd do it in reverse. His Grandmother… Gran… he pictured Death Eaters _Bellatrix_ closing in on her small house. He wanted to just sink down to the floor but he knew he couldn't. People were depending on him now. He wasn't sure what the best course of action was now, but he knew falling to the floor and curling into a ball wasn't it. Slowly, one step at a time, he resumed his walk to the Great Hall.

.

Neville didn't think he was going to have an appetite at breakfast but once he smelled the food he found that his stomach rumbled. He ate and tried not to look at the teachers' table where Amycus and Alecto looked entirely too smug.

"Detention!" Amycus abruptly called out. Neville turned to see him pointing at a group of Ravenclaws just walking in the door.

"What for?" McGonagall demanded, getting out of her seat.

"Tardiness," Amycus said. "Late for breakfast."

"Ludicrous!" McGonagall said. Yet she was the only one speaking. Flitwick was still a little weak and had been taking his meals in his chambers and Sprout was still with Madam Pomfrey. The other teachers were either starting intently at their plates or the wall (or trying to hide in a wine glass, like Slughorn).

"I think not, Minerva," Snape said. "Meals have long been too chaotic. I believe we should have a little order."

"Severus, don't get in my way, or-"

"Or what?" Snape cut in calmly. "What do you imagine you're going to do?" McGonagall's lip stiffened and she made no reply. "Sit down, old woman. Unless you really want to start something right here?" Snape raised an eyebrow casually but Neville saw his hand fishing for his wand. McGonagall's hand hovered likwise near her wand, but in the end she sat back down. Her face seemed to fluctuate between anger and sadness.

Over at the Slytherin table, Nott pointed at McGonagall and said something. Laughter erupted from the table, making Neville's blood boil. Farther down, Draco sat alone with Goyle. He seemed to be smiling to himself, but he said nothing.

.

The rest of the day went by all too quickly. Neville had to face another detention, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it through. He didn't think the Cruciatus Curse could actually kill, but he felt like it might if he had to go through it again, over and over. It didn't help that Amycus seemed to be wearing a kind of knowing smile every time he saw Neville.

Eventually, though, detention arrived. The DA seemed to be taking his advice about laying low because, besides the Ravenclaws from breakfast, there was only one other student, a young Gryffindor, waiting outside the detention room. The Ravenclaws were looking at him and talking- he suspected they knew what was coming and were blaming him. Part of him wished Hannah and Seamus were there, but mostly not; if they were there it would mean they would have detention as well.

Amycus arrived early with his gaggle of Slytherins. He smiled as he opened the door. Neville couldn't imagine why; perhaps he was going to make Neville go last this time so he'd have to watch all the others get tortured first. Maybe Amycus was bringing his friends and was going to torture them anyway. It wouldn't be the first time the Death Eaters had hurt someone to get at someone else.

"No, Mr. Longbottom. Please sit near the front," Amycus said. He had been about to sit in the middle of the room.

"Why?" Neville probably should have followed his own advice… but once you already had detention all week, you didn't have much more to lose.

"Very eager, aren't you? Well, we can start right away."

"Start with what?"

But Amycus wasn't paying attention. He pointed to the young Gryffindor. "You. Come here." The boy got his feet slowly and walked to the front of the room. Neville could see he was shaking. "Alright Mr. Longbottom. I wan you to perform the Cruciatus Curse on this boy."

"No," Neville said right away. He'd spoken without really thinking about it, though he knew he would have done the same either way.

"What?" Amycus must have known about Gran. He must have expected Neville to just go along with anything.

"I will not," Neville said stubbornly, ignoring the pain in his side and stepping up from his desk.

"Have you not been provided with enough incentive already?" Amycus said. "Very well. If you do not obey me now, I will see that you have an extra detention each day from my sister, and whoever else she chooses to help her, for the rest of the year." Amycus smiled. "You have but two options, Longbottom. Receive pain, or inflict it."

_No_ Neville thought, _not only two._ He drew his wand. Amycus's grin grew wider. Neville raised it slowly toward the boy then abruptly shifted it toward Amycus. "_Stupefy!_"

Amycus was caught completely off guard. The spell caught him right in the chest and he flew across the room. He crashed into the desk and fell over in a heap. Neville turned and simply shoved the nearest two Slytherins over before firing off another Stunning Charm. He knew he had no chance of beating them all… but then more spells from behind him. The other students were fighting back and the Slytherins, unprepared for an attack, were quickly taken down.

"Out! Now!" Neville shouted. He didn't think they would stay down that long. The students ran from the room, one of the Ravenclaw girls kicking Crabbe in the face as she passed. Neville followed once the last of them left. "Split up! Run!"

Neville couldn't run too fast and soon heard the Slytherins shouting down the hall behind him. He didn't think they'd caught sight of them so he had a moment to pick his destination. But where to do? He couldn't risk the Tower, it was too obvious. He could perhaps hide out with the Ravenclaws or the Hufflepuffs, but he had the feeling that Amycus would check the other Houses if Neville wasn't in Gryffindor Tower. There were a dozen other decent hiding places in the school where Neville might go undiscovered for a little while but there was no place that was truly secure.

Unless…

He wasn't sure if the Room of Requirement was truly safe, but it seemed like his best bet. If he needed it to hide him, would it? What if Amycus or Draco wanted to find him? Would the room let them in? Neville wasn't sure but he decided it was his best chance.

The room appeared in front of him and he entered. Inside, it looked much like a small version of his room in Gryffindor Tower. There was one bed pushed against the back wall with a nightstand and some spellbooks. A small door led to what Neville assumed was a bathroom. Neville took a seat on the bed. He grabbed one of the spell books but found her was much too nervous to read anything. He just sat there, waiting and listening. Outside, the school grew louder. He wasn't surprised; he's just attacked Amycus yet again, and Neville didn't think Amycus ever let such things slide.

After a few hours, though, things began to quiet down. No one entered the Room and gradually Neville calmed down. _I guess I'm safe_. He lit a candle and inspected the room a little more closely. The second door did indeed lead to a small bathroom. He found a small trunk with a change of clothes under the bed. The only decoration was a picture of a young girl. Something about her seemed familiar, though the style of the painting suggested it was quite old.

Neville tried not to worry about his Gran, about what might be happening to her, even now. He thought about Dolohov and all the nasty spells he'd seen the man perform, all the rumors he'd heard about him. Then a worse thought- what if Bellatrix was the one who was in charge of his grandmother? Perhaps it would have been better if Neville gone along with Amycus… yet at the same time, he knew he couldn't have.

Suddenly exhausted, Neville climbed under the blankets of the bed in his clothes and blew out his candle. His thoughts continued to hound him into his dreams, but he did sleep.


	28. Chapter 28: Draco's Decision

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Draco's Decision

"I can't this afternoon," Draco said. "My Dad wants to have a talk through the Floo. It's the only time Snape would clear us."

"How unfortunate for us both," Amycus said. "You showed such promise on the Longbottom boy. If you could find that kind of power every time, Draco, you could become truly great."

"Y-yeah," Draco stammered. "Next week." Amycus smiled and nodded by way of dismissal.

Out in the hall, Draco took a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn't like lying to Amycus. Not on principle, but because Amycus might know and Draco knew nothing of Occlumency. Amycus trusted Draco, though, and had no reason to doubt his word.

But would only hold up for so long. Amycus would catch on, and probably sooner than later. He had one last hope: an appeal to Snape. He wasn't sure what Snape would do, but it was his only other option short of running away. And Snape would be able to do it in a way that saved face for Draco. Nott and the others were still isolating him but most of the Slytherins still accorded him a degree of respect. With that much he would be able to work his way back; without it he would be left behind.

He couldn't lie, though. That would be the trick. Snape was a powerful Legilemens, even more so than Amycus. Draco has the feeling that Snape checked everyone he ever spoke to, at least lightly. Except the Dark Lord of course.

He stood in front of the headmaster's office staring at the gargoyle. _No point in putting it off._ Draco took a deep breath. "Voldemort."

The gargoyle hopped to the side and a stairway appeared behind the wall. He walked up and knocked on Snape's door. No answer. Draco tried again and let himself in when there was still no response.

The office was in fact empty. Draco suspected it was so, though Snape had tendency to get lost in his Pensieve from time to time. Draco turned to leave when a voice called to him.

"Leaving already, Mister Malfoy?"

The voice froze Draco in his tracks. The hairs on his neck stood straight up. Ice ran through his veins while his muscles tensed up. He hadn't heard that voice in almost a year. He'd been in here dozens of times talking with Snape; why bother him now?

"Just leaving," Draco said without turning around.

"I don't blame you," Dumbledore said. "For anything."

"You're just a picture," Draco said, still not turning. "You don't know anything."

"If you thought that was true you wouldn't have any trouble looking over here."

That comment got under Draco's skin. He whirled on the portrait, blood running hot... though he still did not quite look up. "I'm not scared of you."

"No I shouldn't think so," Dumbledore said slowly. "There's not much to be scared of."

"No," Draco snarled. "Especially not some stupid painting!"

"But there are some things you are scared of, Draco," Dumbledore said, "and if what I've heard is true, I think I know what it is."

"I'm sure you do," Draco said.

"I am guessing that you don't want to perform the Cruciatus Curse on your fellow students."

"Ask Longbottom if I had any trouble," Draco said with a slight grin.

"Then why are you here?" Dumbledore asked. Draco said nothing. "You don't like Mister Longbottom, do you?"

"Of course not!" Draco said. "He's ruined everything for me! If he'd just shut up and leave alone I wouldn't have any problems, but he keeps coming back, no matter what we do. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't…" he trailed off.

"If it weren't for him?" Dumbledore repeated.

"Nothing." Draco looked at the floor.

"All right." Dumbledore settled back into his frame.

"He's screwed up more times than I can count!" Draco said. "He was just useless for year and years. And now that he's actually trying he keeps screwing things up! He's led them into traps, he was too stupid to fall for our plan! He wouldn't believe his friend had really turned on him! And they all still follow him anyway!"

"He stood by his friend?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Refused to believe he'd really been betrayed? Just like they stood by him? That bothers you, Draco?"

"I made one mistake," Draco snarled. "Just one."

"And if you do one thing right, they will come back."

"I know," Draco said.

"But it will not be the same." Draco looked up at him. "The path of the Slytherin is a lonely one."

"My father isn't lonely," Draco countered. "He has us. Me and my mother. He loves us."

"I do not doubt it," Dumbledore agreed. "How many friends does your father have?"

"Plenty," Draco spat.

"And how many does he actually like?" Draco opened his mouth and realized he had nothing to say. "A good Slytherin, as some would use the term, does not have friends that can't do him any good."

"I am a good Slytherin!" Draco shouted. He felt his eyes growing warm but he wouldn't let the tears form. "I want to be the best!"

"But you are unwilling to pay the price it takes to be the best. And Draco," Dumbledore said with a small smile, "that is not a bad thing."

Draco looked up at portrait, face hot and insides twisted. He thought back to the last time he'd seen Dumbledore alive, tired and broken atop the astronomy tower almost a year before. The only time he'd ever looked his age, begging Snape for his life.

"Draco-" Dumbledore began, but he was cut off when the door opened and Snape came in. Draco nearly jumped before turning to look at him.

"I was not aware that my office had been opened to students at their leisure," Snape said as he walked to his desk. "I suppose I shall never understand how the Governors work, but they must have their reasons."

"I'm sorry, sir," Draco said. "I just don't like waiting in the hall."

Snape sat at his desk and Draco saw he wasn't actually mad. "Not entirely safe with all those troublemakers about, is it?" he mused. "What can I do for you, Draco?"

"I don't want to be in Amycus's detention anymore," Draco said. No point in beating around the bush.

"He gave you a detention?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

"No he wants me to help run it, and…" Draco swallowed. All of his plausible, half true fled from his mind. "I just don't want to."

Snape looked at Draco for a moment; he seemed to expect Draco to say more. "Very well," he said at last. "I will speak with Amycus, if that it your wish."

"Thank you, sir," Draco said. "One more thing. If you could make sure he doesn't know, uh… I'm not…" \

"You didn't actually tell me why you don't want to," Snape said with a small smirk. Draco opened his mouth but Snape spoke first. "I will make sure you save face with the students, Draco."

"Thanks again," Draco said. "I'll be going then."

"Goodbye." Snape had already started looking over some the papers on his desk.

Draco left the office. He intended to head back to the dungeons, to the common room, but instead found himself wandering the halls.

He felt relieved; Snape had granted his wish. It wasn't that he didn't like the Cruciatus Curse in general. There were times when people deserved it, or when it was needed. Longbottom, Potter, the little Weasel. People like that, and only them. And even they wouldn't deserve it every day, for every little thing. Mudbloods, or even a blood traitor, those people should be shunned or ignored. There was no reason to torture them; they weren't worth it.

From a more logical standpoint, Draco knew it was impractical. If someone was late and then knew they were going to get the Cruciatus Curse, they were more likely to go ahead and do something worse. If they were going to get the worst punishment the Carrows could come up with, there was no point in holding themselves back.

He'd once tried explaining this to Amycus, to no avail. Draco had known he wouldn't really listen. Amycus tried to hide it, but he enjoyed pain just as much as his sister (though perhaps he liked watching more than inflicting.) To him Dumbledore's Army was only a secondary, though still important, concern.

He realized that it was getting close to dinner time but he didn't make a move toward the Great Hall. He didn't have much of an appetite. He was about ready to head back to the common room now that they were empty but he heard someone else wandering the corridors, away from the Great Hall. Curious, Draco decided to check who it was.

He peaked around the corner and saw Seamus Finnigan limping down the hall, two plates of food floating in front of him. _Gryffindor Tower isn't anywhere near here_ Draco thought. _Where is he going?_

Finnigan stumbled up another floor, then another, going further from the Hall and the Tower. He didn't seem overly concerned with stealth; his footsteps were loud and he only looked around occasionally to see if he was being followed.

Even so, Draco was nearly spotted when Finnigan stopped and abruptly turned around but he managed to hide behind the corner. He peaked around and saw Finnigan walk back and forth before a door appeared in the wall next to him.

_The Room of Requirement_ Draco thought as he realized exactly where he'd followed Finnigan. _Longbottom._ He realized. Once the fake Seamus plot had been uncovered, Draco and Amycus had staked out the Room of Requirement for some time but no one had come calling. The DA had found another place to meet and at some point hey had just stopped checking the Room. And now Longbottom had holed up in there. Wonderful. And it was somewhat brilliant too- the Room wouldn't even show up unless you knew Longbottom was there. Or perhaps Longbottom could keep out those he didn't want inside. Draco wasn't sure, but he doubted they'd be able to sneak in.

Nonetheless, his spirits were high as he walked to the Great Hall. Even if they couldn't get in, Longbottom would leave, sooner or later. And then they'd have him. In the meantime, they could catch his friends, one by one.

Yet how to use this information? Should he tell Amycus? Perhaps Snape? Or perhaps just tell his housemates. Lead a group of Slytherins up there and capture Finnigan when he left. Or perhaps just do it alone? He liked that idea best. No reason to share the fun with the Carrows or Snape. He would personally march Longbottom into the Great Hall. He would get up early and present him to Snape at breakfast the next day in front of everyone. That would be perfect. Even better if they got Finnigan along the way. Draco was smiling to himself as he entered the common room.

The Slytherins were just starting to come back from dinner. He realized that his appetite had returned. He looked around half heartedly to see if anyone had noticed he wasn't at dinner and had brought him food. No one had.

_And I didn't really expect them to_ Draco thought. His appetite went away again and his smile faded. He saw Nott sitting by the fire with Pansy and Blaise. He almost walked over to the, but for some reason he decided to go to his room instead. He drew the curtain of his four-poster and soon fell asleep.

.

_He was climbing. He looked below him and saw the members of his House below him. Nott, then Pansy, then Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, others… all climbing some mountain. They were climbing fast, so fast, and the top wasn't too far away… _

_He looked over and saw Potter. Potter and his House. Longbottom, the Weasleys, the Mudblood Granger- the whole lot of them. They were going slower- almost like they weren't trying. Draco soon realized it was because they were helping each other. Making sure no one got stuck. Draco almost laughed as he pulled ahead of Potter- it was so foolish! But he felt something else but he wasn't sure what… _

_He and Potter both reached for the same stone. Draco tried to push Potter's hand away but then the both of them wound up losing their grip. Draco's other handhold broke- as did Potter's- and they both wound up falling, falling. _

_Longbottom's hand shot out to catch Potter. A stupid move, because Longbottom couldn't hold the both of them and they were both going to fall. But then the two Weasleys grabbed Longbottom, Granger grabbed them, and soon enough Potter and the others were all safely back on the mountain and climbing. The lead Slytherins- Theodore, Pansy, and Crabbe- had pulled ahead. Not one of them reached out to help Draco. Only Goyle even looked back. And Draco kept falling, falling, falling… _

_._

Draco snapped awake, covered in a cold sweat. He wiped away tears from his eyes. He had been having some sort of dream but he couldn't quite remember, it was fading but he still felt…

But it was a dream. Just a dream. It didn't mean anything.

He sat on the edge of his bed and wiped his face with his sleeve. The others were all still asleep but it was almost morning. They'd be up soon. Draco's stomach rumbled and he remembered that he hadn't eaten last night. He decided to set off early for breakfast; he'd have to anyway, if he was going to catch Finnigan and Longbottom.

Hardly anyone else was awake. Not even the professors, except for McGonagall, who was sitting toward one end of the staff table. A few students were scattered around the room, none of them Slytherin. Draco took a seat near the end of the Slytherin table, ready to tell Snape the moment he walked in.

Finnigan came in a few moments later. He hobbled to a seat near the door, loaded up two plates full of food and floated them out. McGonagall watched from the staff table and did nothing.

_Perfect,_ Draco thought. _I can get her out of the way as well. Where is Snape?_ Yet for some reason, as he watched Finnigan limp out the door, he didn't draw any attention. Just watched him go. The Carrows came in a few minutes later but Draco quietly ate his food. He wasn't sure why, but he wound up leaving before Snape even arrived. He passed most of his housemates on the way back to the common room. He thought about Finnigan, limping on a leg that hadn't healed, that might never heal, limping up seven floors to bring Longbottom food. Running the risk of being caught after having just escaped. He thought about Longbottom fighting his way out of the detention room the other day. He remembered the way Finnigan had grabbed his legs when he was too weak to even stand just after he had escaped. The ways the other had led Longbottom around when he had been Desensulated all week. He thought about Dumbledore, Dolohov, his dad, Snape, Crabbe, and how he'd been hungry last night.

_Tonight,_ Draco thought. _I'll definitely tell him tonight. No doubt. _


	29. Chapter 29: Outside Help

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Outside Help**

"He's in a bad way, Professor," Seamus said. "I've been bringing him food when I can, but he's really down. Being stuck in that room for days, who can blame him?"

"Mister Finnigan," McGonagall began. "You're the last person who should be putting yourself at such risk."

"I'm nearly better," Seamus said. "And I owe him. Well, him and all of you, but he needs me now."

"You have done more than enough," McGonagall said. "I will ensure that Neville has enough food." She paused. "If you would continue to visit him when you can, though-"

"Already planning on it, Professor," Seamus said. "I'd do it even if you said otherwise."

"Which is why I did not bother." McGonagall stood up. "I need to see to some things. Thank you, Mister Finnigan."

She followed Seamus out the door and went straight for the kitchens. As usual, the House Elves were busy preparing their next meal. Several of them came up to her asking to help or offering small bits of food but she dismissed them all. She only needed to talk to one of them.

"Moxer." McGonagall found the House Elf in question stoking one of the fires toward the back. He was a bit more portly than House-Elves usually were, and wearing an unusual number of socks. "Still working the fire?"

"S' the one thing I can't eat," Moxer said glumly. "They finally figured it out."

"Well then, I have a job you may like."

Moxer put down the bellows and looked at her. "Yeah? Well let's hear it, lady."

McGonagall didn't know Moxer's whole story. Shortly after Dobby had started working at Hogwarts, he had spent the summers trying to find other House Elves that had been dismissed or wished to be paid. Some of them, like Winky, hadn't adapted well to freedom, while others, like Moxer… well, McGonagall understood why they'd been set free.

"I need you to bring food to a student in the Room of Requirement."

"The what?"

"The Come-and-Go Room," McGonagall remembered. "Three meals a day, and you can't be seen."

"Three meals? No problem."

McGonagall saw the gleam in his eye. "And they have to get there, Moxer. Empty plates will land you back on cleaning duty."

"Yes ma'am." Moxer gave a salute. McGonagall sighed and left the kitchen. She personally thought Moxer was probably more trouble than he was worth. He knew how to do a lot of odd jobs around the castle, but lacked the discipline to be a consistent worker. Dumbledore had kept him on anyway, and McGonagall didn't have the heart to tell Snape about him.

Moxer would help some, but it was only part of the problem. Based on what Seamus had been saying, Neville was sinking into a depression. Living alone, scared, and not knowing what was going on- it was enough to depress anyone. McGonagall had thought Neville might be stronger than that, but he was still young. Being cooped up in that room couldn't be doing him any good. If she could get him out somehow….

An idea came to her. She would have to wait until the evening, but she might just have something…

.

McGonagall stepped into the Hog's Head just before midnight. She didn't like being up so late, but she thought it would be best to come after most of the patrons had left.

"We're just about to close," the barman called without looking up. "Probably got time for one drink. Two if you're quick."

"I came to talk Aberforth," McGonagall said. Aberforth looked up but his expression did not change.

"I think you already know what I'm going to say." Aberforth went back to wiping his glass. "Don't know why you think you'd change my mind."

"It's not about the Order," McGonagall said. She knew Aberforth wouldn't get involved with the Order. Not anymore than he already had. Dumbledore had tried numerous times since Voldemort had come back. Each time had been met with a failure that hurt him deeply. He frequently came back from such visits in poor spirits. Once he came back angry- one of the few times McGonagall had ever seen him that way.

Aberforth set down his glass and pulled out another. "Alright. What is it?" He poured them each a small amount of Ambermead.

"There's a boy who needs your help," McGonagall said making no move to take the glass. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Aberforth said, suppressing a cynical smile. "Go on."

"He needs your help," McGonagall repeated. "He's hiding out in the castle, alone. It's not good for him. I think being around more people and having something to do will be good for him."

Aberforth set down his glass and took McGonagall's once he realized she had no intention of drinking it. "Can't do it, McGonagall."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"He's involved isn't he? Not in the Order, I guess, but still involved." McGonagall said nothing. "Can't do it."

"That's not answer," she pressed.

"That's the closest you're going to get." Aberforth put away the Ambermead and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey. "No good would come of it. Especially not that young. Best he stay there, wait until it's all over." He took a swig from the bottle. "And I've done more than enough anyway. Thanks for stopping by, Minerva."

McGonagall turned stiffly and left the bar without another word. She'd really thought Aberforth would help out. He surely wouldn't mind the company; the only other resident was that goat of his. There was something he wasn't telling her, but McGonagall didn't have the time to root it out of him. Not tonight, anyway.

She decided to visit Neville tomorrow and personally assess his situation, see what help she could offer him. It would be risky, but it was the best option. If Aberforth wouldn't help then there was no one in Hogsmeade she trusted completely; a depressing thought to accompany her back to the castle.

.

"Show me the room where Neville is hiding," McGonagall said softly. Seamus had told her that speaking aloud wasn't necessary, but she'd never been to this strange room before and wanted to be certain she did it right. She walked past the spot three times and she had been told, and the door appeared.

The Room was small- just big enough for one person to move around a bit. There was a small desk with a few books, a bed, and a door that was either a closest or a lavatory. The only decorations were a small Gryffindor banner above the bed and a portrait of a young girl that McGonagall only glanced at.

Neville had been laying on the bed when she came in, but sat up when he saw her. "Professor," he greeted, surprised.

"Mister Longbottom," she returned.

"I… what are you doing here?" he stammered.

"I wanted to check up on you, see how you were doing," she said. "Mister Finnigan informed me of your situation." McGonagall pulled out the chair at the desk and at down.

"Oh," Nevile said. "It's… alright."

"That is not what I heard."

Neville head sunk a little. "No. I guess not."

"If you want to leave, I can get you out," McGonagall said. She wasn't sure how, exactly, but she would find a way if that was what he needed. "We can get you on a train in Hogsmeade and they'll be none the wiser."

"I could've done that," Neville said. "I could have used one of the invisibility cloaks and just walked out the front door. But I wouldn't know where to go."

McGonagall's brow furrowed. She knew Longbottom wasn't the most gifted student, but surely he could find his way home. "What do you mean?"

"It's my Gran," he said. "Dolohov came and told me that…" his voice trailed off a moment. "He said they were going to take her if I didn't stop. But they wanted me to do to the Cruciatus Curse I just couldn't…" His head dropped and he took a minute to collect himself. "I mean, it would be like betraying my parents. I couldn't do it." When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. "But they took Gran, and…"

McGonagall moved to the beside and put her arms around him as he began to cry harder.

.

Neville seemed like he was doing a bit better when she left, but McGonagall knew he was still in bad shape. She had to find some way to help him get his spirit back or he just wasn't going to make it.

Augusta Longbottom was tougher than she seemed, and she was stubborn. She wouldn't have gone along quietly, she would have fought tooth and wand. If the Death Eaters hadn't been expecting it, if they'd underestimated her because she was an old woman then maybe, just maybe it wasn't as bad as Neville thought. It was only a small chance but McGonagall had to know. Though how she might find out, she had no idea.

When she got back to her quarters she found Kingsley's lynx Patronus sitting on her bed. "Hello, Minerva," it greeted.

"Kingsley," McGonagall said. "Perfect. I need to speak with you."

"And I you," Kingsley said. "Things are growing more grim. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was seen in the Ministry. He's walking around in the open now, Minerva."

McGonagall felt her heart jump into her throat, but she forced it back down. "I am not entirely surprised. They have begun using the Cruciatus Curse as punishment here."

"What?" Kingsley's Patronus sat bolt upright, his voice much tighter. "The Cruciatus? On children? Great Merlin…"

"I know," McGonagall said solemnly. "I appealed to Snape, but you can imagine how that went."

"Don't do anything foolish," Kingsley said. "We need you there."

"I won't," McGonagall said, clenching her fists. "Kingsley, I need a favor."

"Of course," he said. "What is it? I will do what I can."

"It is of the utmost importance for the situation here. First, are you in contact with Lee Jordan?"

"I can reach him if I need to. Why?"

"I need you to look into something…"

.

Two nights later, McGonagall waited outside the Great Hall. She pulled Seamus and Hannah aside.

"What's wrong, Professor?" Seamus asked. Hannah stayed quiet: she seemed to think she was in trouble.

"Meet me at the Room in an hour. Do you have a radio?"

"Yes."

"Bring it. And make sure you're not seen."

"Won't be a problem." Seamus nodded and walked off with Hannah.

As she was walking back to her quarters, some of the students in front of her dropped something from their robes. It looked to McGonagall like a Weasley product. Amycus heard and turned to look but Professor Sinistra stepped in his way.

"Ehem, excuse me, Professor, but the Headmaster told me to see you about a letter I need sent off."

"What?" Amycus shook his head. He tried to look around Sinistra, but the students had already vanished around the corner.

"A letter," Sinistra repeated. Her eyes were darting back and forth but Amycus did not notice. "I need to confer with an associate in London and I need you to approve my letter."

"What? That's fine." Amycus turned back to look at him. "Have Alecto look it over before you send it." He dismissed Sinstra with a wave of his hand.

"Professor," McGonagall said after Amycus was around the corner. Sinistra jumped and McGonagall smiled a little in spite of herself.

"Minerva," Sinistra said. "I'm sorry, you startled me."

"My apologies," McGonagall said with a small bow. "I shouldn't have snuck up on you after that."

"After… nevermind." She knew how Sinistra could be. McGonagall smiled and walked back to her office.

.

McGonagall left her office shortly before she was supposed to meet Hannah and Seamus. She made sure to steer clear of the Carrow's quarters and walked very softly. She was no followed, but as she rounded a corner near the Room she found herself face to face with Slughorn.

"Horace," McGonagall greeted, trying to sound calm even as she jumped. Slughorn had yet to let her down so far, but she still wasn't completely sure she could trust him. "We're quite far from the dungeons. What brings you up here?"

"Oh, ahem," Slughorn straightened himself up. He was holding a green sack. "I, uh, heard you were going to have a little meeting tonight, at the Room of Requirement. A place I discovered during my own youth at Hogwarts. I assumed it had something to with Mr. Longbottom- that is, I assume he has been hiding there, so I… well, I wanted to come along." He cleared his throat and looked down as he finished.

"That's good, Horace," McGonagall said warily. "So you want to come along?"

"Er, yes. If that's alright."

"I suppose so," McGonagall said.

Slughorn smiled a little. "I appear to have taken you off guard. I apologize. I can simply return to my quarters, if you would prefer."

"No, no, it's fine," McGonagall said. If Slughorn really knew about the Room of Requirement already, he could have turned Neville over already, but he had not. "We're just waiting for a few other guests."

As if on cue, Seamus and Hannah appeared next to Slughorn. The Slytherin Professor raised his eyebrows and look at them. "Invisibility cloaks? Where did you get those?"

Seamus looked uncomfortable and glanced at McGonagall. "Not important right now. Do you have the radio?"

"Yeah, right here." He pulled it from his robe. "Are we going to listen to Potterwatch?"

"Yes," she said. "Come. Let us join Mr. Longbottom. Neville." Together, the four of them walked back and forth until the room appeared and they all ducked quietly inside. Neville was sitting on his bed looking around when they all walked in.

"The Room just got bigger," he said. "Now I know why."

Sure enough, the Room was much bigger than it had been when McGonagall visited it before. There was now a small couch, two squashy armchairs, and a little table right in between all of them.

"Hey, Seamus." Neville stood to greet them. He shook hands with Seamus and embraced Hannah. They looked like they might kiss for a moment, but then they both stopped and looked over at the Professors.

"Professor Slughorn," Neville said a little uneasily. "It's good to see you."

"And you," Slughorn said. "I, um, I heard you weren't doing well, hiding out in here. I just, well, I just wanted to come visit, and…" He handed Neville his sack. "I thought you might like this."

Neville let go of Hannah and took the sack. He opened skeptically and looked inside. "Are these... Blood Pops?" He rummaged a little more, eyes growing wide. "And Ice Mice?"

"More or less," Slughorn said. He peered into the sack and grabbed an Ice Mouse. "Only what I was able to whip up with what I had around." He popped it into his mouth. "I assumed you were being fed, but sometimes you need more than just food."

"Thank you, Professor," Neville said. "This is great." Neville sat on the couch with Hannah and Seamus. The three of them took turns taking candy out of the sack.

"Candy," McGonagall said softly. "I would never have thought." She looked over at Slughorn. "I mean, they're a bit old for a bag of candy to make it all better."

"Sometimes," Slughorn said, "under great stress, childish things provide the most comfort." Slughorn swallowed his Ice Mouse. "Though you, I think, find more comfort in more mature things." Slughorn produced a bottle of Shimmery Cider from his robe.

"Thank you, Horace." They sat in the squashy armchairs. They found some glasses stowed underneath the table and filled them.

"Oi!" Seamus called from the couch. "Share and share alike, eh?"

"Of course," Slughorn produced more glasses from under the table and began filling them as well. McGonagall nearly protested, but then laughed at the absurdity. Their having a drink was, technically, one of the more legal things going on in the room. Besides, they were all over seventeen.

"Mr. Finnigan, it's time."

"Oh, right." Seamus set up the radio on the table. McGonagall thought she might have blushed a little when the password turned out to be her first name. Slughorn toasted her as the program started. After all the usual warnings, Lee started with an interesting bit of news.

"We have received reports from Diagon Alley that Harry Potter has been seen for the first time in months! We caution you that while the following tale may be extreme or unbelievable, it has been confirmed by several independent sources to be true.

"According to witnesses, Harry Potter was seen flying out of Gringotts on the back of a Dragon with two companions, believed to be Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Where the Dragon came from or how Harry procured it is unknown, but I personally saw the massive structural damage done to the bank itself and can say that something very large must have caused it.

"Harry's goals are unknown, but we hope he was successful in his efforts. If you're listening, Harry, we all wish you the best."

The students on the couch cheered. McGonagall found herself laughing a little, and even Slughorn smiled.

"One more piece of news, specifically for our friends at Hogwarts. The Ministry recently sent an Auror, John Dawlish, to the residence of Augusta Longbottom on trumped up charges. The actual reason was to gain leverage over her grandson, Neville, who has been leading the resistance at Hogwarts for some time now.

"According to neighbors, Miss Longbottom did not quietly. She fought with the Auror sent to take her and manage to escape. Her current whereabouts are unknown, but we have had no reports of her capture."

Hannah and Seamus were staring at Neville. McGonagall guessed he hadn't told them about his grandmother. Yet even so, they looked almost as relieved as Neville.

"Good news, Nev," Seamus said with a clap on the back. Hannah whispered something in his ear and Neville blushed a little. He tried to look away but Hannah pulled him back and kissed him. McGonagall smiled as they all calmed down and listened to the rest of the report.

.

"Horace, if you can escort Mr. Finnigan and Miss Abbott to their respective Common Rooms?"

"Of course," Slughorn said.

"Professor, we have the cloaks," Hannah said.

"Still, allow Professor Slughorn to walk with you."

"Alright," she relented. Hannah and Seamus disappeared beneath the cloaks and. Slughorn nodded as he shut the door.

"Thank you, Professor," Neville said. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

"There is no need for thanks," she replied. Neville opened his arms and they hugged. "This school needs you," she said as they parted. "More than me, more than anything else.

"And also… Augusta worries about you more than she should. She did the same with your father. But I remember this as well- I have never seen her more proud of your father than the day he became an Auror."

Neville didn't say anything. He just sat down on his bed and nodded.

McGonagall decided to let him be. But as she walked out the door, she said. "Let them know you're still here."


	30. Chapter 30: The Portrait on the Wall

Chapter Thirty: The Portrait on the Wall

Professor Snape's dinner exploded in his face just as the doors to the Great Hall closed. There was a hushed silence in the room as all eyes started at Snape, the mashed potatoes slowly sliding down his cheek. A moment later, the same thing happened to both Amycus and Alecto. They both shot to their feet while Snape stoically cleaned his face. Amycus opened his mouth when a bit of food flew into it. He gagged a little as more bits of his dinner began to pelt him and his sister. They both tried to get away, but the food followed them around the Great Hall and, eventually, out the staff entrance. The Great Hall, even the Slytherins, had erupted in laughter at the sight of them being chased by their dinner. Professor Flitwick laughed so hard he fell out of his chair and nearly had to go back to the Hospital Wing.

When the students left the hall, they found that the Slytherin House Points hourglass had been shattered. The emeralds had been enchanted to hang in the air and say: _Dumbledore's Army: Not Going Anywhere_

Snape furiously dispelled the enchantment and the emeralds fell to the ground. "Who did this?" he snarled. Seamus and Parvati looked as though they were scared and trying not to laugh at the same time.

"The doors were locked as Professor Carrow suggested, Headmaster," Professor Sprout pointed out. "No one could have left, and all my students were inside."

"Mine as well," McGonagall said.

"And mine," Flitwick said, his face still a little red.

"Are you suggesting the emeralds did that themselves?" Snape snapped. Sprout took a step back but still smiled.

"Line up your students! I want a head count, now!" Alecto shrieked.

"Come now, sister," Amycus said. "We know who did this."

"We do?" Alecto narrowed her eyes. "Oh."

"Yes," Snape said, mostly to himself. "Professor McGonagall," he turned to face her, "have your students clean this mess up."

"Why my students?" McGonagall said, feigning confusion.

"Just do it."

An alarmed look crossed Amycus' face. "This could be a distraction! We need to get back, come!" Amycus and Alecto took off down the hall, followed by more chuckles from the students as a few carrots zipped out of the Great Hall and toward the Carrows. Professor Snape huffed as he walked off toward his office.

Neville pushed himself off the wall and carefully made his way up the stairs. Under the cover of his invisibility cloak he navigated the hallways until he was safely back at the Room of Requirement.

Seamus, Hannah, Ernie, Michael, and Parvati were waiting for him. The Room had rearranged itself into a sort of combination living room and bedroom big enough for several people.

"Brilliant!" Ernie exclaimed once Neville took off the cloak. "Snape's face… did you see it?"

"No, he turned away," Neville said. "I saw Amycus and Alecto when they ran off though."

"Where did you find the enchantments? They seem oddly specific," Michael asked.

"That was all Seamus," Neville said, throwing his hands up and grinning. "All him."

"Zonko's started carrying some Weasley products," Seamus said. "It's called the Attacking Food something or other."

Neville cocked his head. Something about Seamus seemed off, but he decided to bring it up later. "Well, I wish I could have been in there. But I didn't have time after sneaking into the kitchens." He shrugged. "Oh well. Can't get them all."

"Sure you can," Hannah said brightly. She pulled something out of her robe and handed it to him.

"Are these… Omnioculars?" Neville furrowed his brow for a moment before it hit him. "You didn't…"

"I did," she smiled. "I got the whole thing."

"Wow. Thanks," Neville beamed. "These will keep me busy for hours."

"It's only about ten minutes long."

"I'm going to watch it a lot." Neville kissed her. "You all should get back though."

"Right," Seamus said. "We'll see you later."

Neville and Hannah kissed again before the others began to depart. "Seamus, wait up a minute."

Seamus hung back as the others left the room. "What's up?"

"Are you feeling alright?" Neville asked, sitting down. "You seem kind of… off."

Seamus sat across from Neville. "I'm fine," he said, though he clearly was not. Neville cleared his throat while he was trying to think or something to say, but Seamus kept going on. "I mean… the food thing was funny and all, but what did it really do? The Carrows are still here. Snape's still Headmaster. What's the point?"

Neville was silent for a moment. "What do you think we should do then?"

"I don't want to kill them," Seamus said. Neville did believe him… but something in Seamus's tone suggested he wouldn't mind much if someone else did. "But maybe hurt them. Get them out of the way, even just for a while. Through the end of the year."

"I've thought about that," Neville said. "But the problem is, it wouldn't work. You-Know-Who's made it clear that Hogwarts is a priority for him. If the Carrows were taken down, he'd have someone here the next day replace them. Probably someone worse. Greyback, or Dolohov, or Merlin forbid Bellatrix."

Seamus hung his head. "I guess you're right."

"We're going to get them eventually," Neville said. "Harry's going to come back. I don't know what he's been doing this year, but I'm sure he hasn't forgotten us. When he comes back, that's when we'll strike. When we can really make it matter. Right now, the best thing we can do is loosen their hold on us."

"What do you mean?"

"They're powerful, but there's a lot more of us than them. Even if the Slytherins backed them, we would win in a fight… but only if everyone is willing to fight."

" So you make them less scary. It makes sense," Seamus said, clinching his fists. "I just…" He trailed off and eventually unclenched his hands. "Alright. I'll keep it cool." He stood up and walked out the door. "I'll come by when I can."

"Thanks," Neville said. After Seamus left he took the Omnoculars and rewound them to the beginning. Watching Snape and the other get attacked by their dinner was better than he could have imagined. He was about to watch it again for a second time, keeping a close look on Snape, when he heard a tapping sound. His blood ran cold. He put down the Omnoculars and drew his wand. "Hello?"

When he got no response he carefully walked to the door. He opened it slightly and stuck his head out. He'd been worried that Draco or Amycus might be able to find him in the Room. He'd hoped that the Room's occupant could take priority and bar certain people from entering, but he wasn't sure. Yet the hall was deserted. He was about to step out and have a closer look when he heard the tapping again, from behind him, from inside the Room.

He closed the door and looked around. He thought it might have been the House-Elf, Moxer, that had been bringing him food might be playing some kind of joke. But then he saw the portrait of the young girl above his bed move. He had never seen her move before and found it rather disconcerting. Then she moved again, tapping on the frame.

He stepped closer and stepped up on his bed. She finally stopped taping just as Neville got close. She motioned for Neville to follow her and walked away out of sight. The painting swung open as Neville approached it, revealing a dark staircase, lit with torches along the wall. Tentatively, Neville pulled himself up into the stairway and began to walk down. It was rather cold in the tunnel, but Neville did not feel as uneasy as he thought he would.

The tunnel emptied into a small, dark room with wood floors. He managed to readjust and came out feet first, landing with a soft thump. A window to his left told he was probably on the second floor of a building and outside of the castle grounds. Probably in Hogsmeade. He could hear a voice coming from a nearby room. He couldn't make out the words but, in a weird way, it was comforting. Neville left the room and walked down the hall, toward the voice. Neville didn't know what was going on, but he assumed the girl in the room wouldn't have led him into danger.

The voice was coming from another room with a cracked door. Neville pushed the door open slowly and saw a familiar figure sitting in a large, ratty armchair with a goat in his lap.

"…right next time," the man said, petting the goat. "Next time for sure." He was talking to the goat and, oddly, it seemed to be listening.

"Hello?" Neville asked.

The man sprang to his feet, dislodging the goat, and Neville was finally able to place him- the Hog's Head barman. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He'd drawn his wand.

"I'm sorry," Neville said quickly. "Sorry, the picture brought me here, I don't know what's going on."

The man relaxed a little. "The picture?" he asked. "The girl?" Neville nodded. "Well that's a new trick for you…"

"What?"

"Nothing," the barman said. "Well, a friend of Ariana's is welcome here. For a drink anyway."

"Oh, that's alright," Neville said, eyeing the goat. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Come on," the barman said, pushing past him. "I need one anyway."

Neville shrugged and decided to follow the barman downstairs. He didn't really know the man, he supposed. But the barman had let them have that very first DA meeting in the room they had just walked into, and Neville remembered him from Dumbledore's funeral as well. And anyway, it wasn't like he had anything else to do tonight.

The barman took two small glasses and filled them with Firewhiskey. The barman downed his glass right away; Neville followed after a moment's hesitation. The drink tasted horrible and left him coughing and sputtering, which amused the barman.

"So where do you come from?" the barman asked, pouring another glass.

"None for me, thanks," Neville said.

"Suit yourself," the barman said, swallowing his drink.

"Hogwarts," Neville said. "I've been living in the Room of Requirement. That's where the picture was."

"Have you now?" The barman gave Neville a strange look before taking one more shot and putting the Firewhiskey away. "You seem like you're doing alright."

"I am," Neville said. The barman made no reply and Neville felt like he should keep talking. "I… I guess I have something to keep me motivated. Keep my spirits up and all."

"And what would that be?"

"I guess I'm involved in a fight." He paused. "Maybe it's more like a war."

"So you're still fighting then?"

"Yes."

"Rubbish."

Neville blinked. "What?"

"I only been in two fights," the barman said. "Two real fights. Oh, I throw people out of here all the time, but a real fight? A fight that was actually about something?" The barman shook his head. "Wish I hadn't, both times."

"What happened?"

"Well that's a little personal, don't you think?"

Neville looked to the floor. "Sorry." Yet he still noticed as the barman looked away, toward the room with the picture of the girl.

"Ah, it's ok." The barman pulled out the Firewhiskey again but drank straight from the bottle. "It's just… the reason I lost my family. Even the ones that were still alive."

"I almost lost my grandmother," Neville said. "That's why I wasn't fighting."

"So you know a little of what I mean, then."

"No, I don't," Neville said. "I was deadlocked. She wanted me to fight. My… parents would too. But I was scared for her. I couldn't fight and I couldn't leave. I think… I think I should have been fighting anyway."

"Cause they would have killed her anyway?" the barman asked. "That wasn't the case for me at all."

"No," Neville said. "Because it's the right thing. That's enough." Neville cleared his throat. "And it's what she would want, anyway."

"That's enough for you?"

"Yeah." Neville shifted in his seat.

"For the greater good, then?" the barman went on.

"Um," Neville had really thought of it in those terms. "I guess."

"Well then." The barman snorted and considered taking another drink but decided against it. "Gryffindor?"

"Yes," Neville answered. He sensed he had made him angry.

"Course." The barman stood up. "Well, it's getting late. I find I need to get to sleep earlier and earlier these days, so come on. You're going back to the castle, right?"

"Right." Neville got up as well. "I can go back through the picture?"

"Well, I hope so," the barman said. "This is the first time anyone's come through it." They walked into the small room with Ariana's picture. She sat very still, but looked over at them when they got close.

"So, this young man wants to get back in the castle," the barman said. "Can you, ah, do that?"

Ariana's only response was to smile and walk back into the frame, much as she had done before.

"I guess I'm off then," Neville said. "Thank you for the drink."

"Sure," the barman said. "You can, ah, stop in again, if you need to. If you need some food or something. There's usually plenty leftovers from the day."

Neville wasn't sure if he wanted anything that even the Hog's Head patrons wouldn't eat, but he appreciated the offer. "Thanks," he said. "That would be great." The barman nodded in return and Neville pulled himself into the picture. "Oh, hey, what's your name?"

"Aberforth."

"Neville." The barman nodded again and Neville set off down the runnel.

.

Two days later, Neville was reading up on some new dueling spells before dinner when Seamus burst into the room.

"Great Merlin!" Neville shouted. Seamus face was bettered almost unrecognizable. His clothes were ripped and he was bleeding from numerous wounds as he leaned against the wall. Neville sprang to his feet and help Seamus to a new bed that had not been there a moment before. "What happened?"

"Cruciatus Curse," Seamus said. "Alecto was going off about half bloods, and… I implied she might have some Muggle blood in her. She hit me with the curse and just left me on the floor. A couple minutes later, I got up, hexed the bitch, and ran like hell for here."

"Wow." Neville realized his mouth was hanging open.

"Don't be surprised," Seamus said. "I mean, I stole the idea from you."

"Oh." Neville with as a smile spread across his face. "Well, when you put it like that…"

Seamus laughed quickly, then grimaced. "Alright. Hasn't this room got something to patch me up with?"

So far as Neville could tell, the Room couldn't make food or potions- which of course included healing potions. But still, there might be something…

He found a small, white box with a cross on sitting on his bed side table. Neville opened the box and found what he believed were Muggle medical supplies.

"What's all this, then?" Seamus asked when Neville sat down next to him.

"Looks like this is best we can do," Neville said. "We'll head out to the Hospital Wing later and see what we can nick. But you're dripping blood right now."

"Right." Seamus nodded. "So how do these work?"

"This one says to put it on the wound and to not get it in your eyes."

"Alright," Seamus said. "This one on my arm hurts the most. I think it's biggest too. Alright, pour it on and BLOODY MERLIN! Get it out!"

"Oh god, it's bubbling up!" Neville felt the beginning of panic in his stomach.

"Get it out! Oh Merlin, what have you done?"

"I'm sorry!" Neville searched through the box and found a bottle labeled pain relief. He popped it open and passed Seamus two of the pills.

"Agh, these taste terrible!"

"Just swallow them!"

Seamus did so with a face that actually made Neville laugh. "Ah, stop it! You're horrible!"

But sooner or later Seamus did get the pill down and a few minutes later Seamus said his arm started feeling better. Neville tied some bandages around Seamus's arm and they both laid down to rest.

.

Thanks to a healing potion nicked from the Hospital Wing that night, Seamus was doing much better. His smaller wounds closed altogether and his bigger ones were looking much better. His face was still pretty swollen, though, and his body was still covered in bruises.

However, having Seamus around made the day so much better. The past few days all he'd really had time to do was read spellbooks. Some of the spells were pretty interesting, but after a few days of it, he began to feel like his brain was even made up for having to split the food the House Elf brought him.

It was the next day when they got a little more company. Hannah came in shortly before lunch. She was shaken but didn't look hurt.

"What's going on?" Neville got off the bed and walked over to her. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said in a soft and flat voice. "Michael…"

"What about him?" Seamus prompted when she didn't continue.

"He… Alecto had a first year chained up in the dungeons."

"What?"

"I don't know why. Michael found out and went to try and save him but Alecto was there and they caught him. They were fighting and it spilled into my classroom. I don't know what spell she used, but he… there was so much blood and…"

"Merlin's beard…" Seamus swore under his breath, shaking his head.

"Michael, was he…"

"He was alive. He was moaning when Alecto drug him off. Professor Sinistra just kept in teaching like nothing had happened." Hannah looked down. "The blood was still on the floor when class ended. I slipped on it, a little bit."

"Do you know where they took him?" Seamus asked. Hannah shook her head.

"She probably has him chained up with the kid he was trying to break out."

"But where?" Seamus started pacing, his limp still not any better from the day before.

Neville considered for a moment. "Well, we do know one room where a student could scream and not be heard."

Seamus's eyes went wide. "Bloody hell." Neville had told him about the old torture room they'd used once or twice. "Got cleared out of there just in time, didn't you?"

"Looks like it," Neville agreed. He looked over at the clock. "Forty-five minutes till lunch. I say we go now, before the halls fill up."

"Let's do it." Seamus cleared his throat. "Um, is Hannah…"

Neville looked over at Hannah, still sitting on his bed. She hadn't said anything or even moved in some time. Neville sat next to her and she looked over at him briefly before looking back down.

"Hannah." No reaction. "Hannah." A little firmer this time and she looked up at him. "Can you do this?"

"Yes," she said flatly after a moment. She shook her head and met his eyes. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go."

"Good." Neville took the rest of the healing solution he'd nicked for Seamus and stowed it in his robes in case Michael needed it.

"I've only got the one cloak," Neville said. "You two go under it, and I'll follow…"

"Don't be silly," Hannah said. "You two need to hide the most. I'll follow behind."

"Alright," Neville agreed. He held out the cloak and he and Seamus ducked under it. It was a little cramped under the cloak, but they were able to shuffle along underneath it carefully. They would scout ahead to make sure the coast was clear and whisper for Hannah to come along.

Ten minutes later they arrived in front of the torture room. They heard nothing from the inside, but of course that made sense. Neville stashed the cloak while Seamus tried the door.

"Locked," Seamus reported. "But not a problem." Seamus tapped the lock with his wand and clicked softly open.

"I'll go in first and make a light ball," Neville said. "Lumos Maximus. If she's in there it'll blind her and you two can take her down."

"I like it," Seamus said eagerly. Hannah nodded as she raised her wand.

Neville's breath came hard as he slowly and carefully cracked the door open Alecto's voice abruptly filled his ears, making threats and shouting obscenities. Neville looked back to make sure the others were ready, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

"Lumos Maximus!" Neville shouted before covering his eyes. The ball of light shot from his wand and stuck to the ceiling. The light nearly took Neville by surprise; Alecto would either be temporarily blinded or would have closed her eyes.

Unless she was already looking away.

Neville peaked through his eyelashes and saw that Alecto had gone to the back of the room to pick up a whip from the table and had her back toward the light.

"Look out!" Neville warned as Hannah and Ernie came in behind him. Alecto shielded her eyes with a hand and brought her wand up. A nonverbal blue spell shot toward Seamus.

"Protego!" Neville's shield charm went up just in time; Alecto's spell shattered it, but Seamus was unhurt.

"Bad children!" Alecto shrieked. "Stopping me from my fun!" Alecto shot another blue spell, but it went wide as she dodged jinxes and hexes from the students.

Neville had an idea. He regained control of his light ball and moved it directly toward her. It couldn't actually hurt her, but she couldn't see around it either.

"Get out of my face!" she shouted. "Get out of my face!" Alecto's want turned red and thrust it into the ball of light, putting it out.

Seamus and Hannah used the moment of distraction to send Stunning Charms at her. They caught her in the chest and head. She collapsed in the back of the room, slumping against a table.

"You guys unchain them," Seamus said. "I'll watch her. I kind of want her to try and get up."

"Both Michael and the first year boy were chained against the wall in the corner like Seamus had been. The first year only had some bruises and scrapes, but Michael looked almost dead. His clothes were barely hanging on him and stained red. Some of the gashes on his arms would probably scar. Hannah hesitated for a moment when she saw the dark pool below him before unlocking the chains and helping him down.

"Open his mouth." Neville took out the rest of his healing potion and carefully poured it down Michael's throat. As he drank, his eyes first opened and then came into focus. Neville stopped pouring. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," Michael said. "From Pomfrey?"

"Yeah. Come on, finish it up." Some of Michael's wounds were still open.

"No, give it to Andrew." He pointed to the first year, who was leaning against the wall and blinking very slowly.

"He'll be fine," Neville said. "You were nearly dead. You're having this."

For a moment, Michael looked like he might protest again. "Fine," he relented.

Neville poured the rest of the potion into Michael's mouth. "Can you stand?"

"Maybe with help." Together Neville and Hannah pulled Michael to his feet. He swayed with he stood and braced himself on the wall.

"I'll take him. Can you get the boy?" He pointed to the first year who had unsteadily gotten to his feet. "Seamus, we'll need you to watch out for us."

"Right," Seamus said, turning away from Alecto.

"Wait, take her wand," Neville said. "And lock the door on the way out."

Seamus grinned as he pulled Alecto's wand from her limp hand. "Should I break it?"

Neville nodded. "Do it. They'll have a fun time replacing it with Ollivander missing." Seamus smiled a little wider and raised the wand over his head.

"No!" Michael said as loud as he could manage. "No, breaking wands is too unpredictable. It could be dangerous."

"Eh." Seamus made a face but lowered the wand slowly. "Take it with us, then?"

"Yeah," Neville said. But then he thought back to something Ollivander had said when he'd gotten his new wand last summer. Something about the wand choosing the wizard. He wasn't sure how literal Ollivander meant that phrase, but he decided he didn't want to be around anything that had chosen Alecto. "No. Toss it off somewhere, out a window or something."

"Alright," Seamus agreed. "So where to?"

"Back to the Room. Only safe place I can think of."

The walk back was slow and nerve-wracking. The school was still at lunch, for the most part. Michael couldn't move very fast, even with Neville's help. Seamus both scouted ahead and watched their backs, but he was only one person. Hannah seemed to be doing fine with Andrew, but she didn't want to leave them alone.

Somehow they made it back without bumping into anyone except the Bloody Baron, who paid them no mind. The Room had grown while they were away and now had three more beds, complete with house banners.

Neville set Michael down on a Ravenclaw bed while Hannah helped Andrew into a chair. The poor kid didn't seem to have anything physically wrong with him, but if Alecto had been at him with aggressive Legilimency, he might be disoriented for quite a while.

"I never said thanks," Michael said weakly. The trip had worn him out; his voice was barely more than a whisper and he was fighting to keep his eyes open, it seemed. "I… I really thought I might die down there."

"We wouldn't let that happen," Neville said.

"And besides, you and me are even now," Seamus pointed out.

"Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much." Michael finally closed his eyes. "I think I'm going to…" His last words slurred together and he was almost asleep before he finished speaking.

"Well, he's safe for now," Hannah said. "But what about when he recovers?"

"He'll stay here," Neville said. "He can't go back. Neither of them can. They'll put them down there again. Or maybe somewhere else harder to get to. But Alecto won't let it go." Neville cleared his throat. "I think you should stay too. Alecto probably saw you."

"Me?" Hannah seemed like she was going to argue. "Well… it makes sense. The Room seemed to think I should." She gestured to the Hufflepuff banner over one of the empty beds. "It'll be good. I haven't been able to see you as much as I'd like."

"Definitely," Neville agreed.

"I'll have to tell Ernie and Susan sometime." She looked over to the bed with the Hufflepuff banner. "I'm going to try out my new bed." Hannah hopped on to her bed and laid down, closing her eyes. "Not as good as the one in my room."

"No," Seamus agreed. "But you get used to it." He abruptly sat up. "Neville, what are we going to do about food?"

"Oh." Neville hadn't thought about that. McGonagall might be able to arrange something with the House-Elves, but bringing food for five people was bound to get noticed sooner or later. "I have an idea."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. We'll work it out tonight." He looked up at picture of Ariana and thought she might have smiled at him.

.

"How does it open?" Hannah asked.

"I don't know. Last time it just kind of… opened," Neville said with a shrug.

"Well maybe ask her? Or something?" Hannah suggested.

"Er, I guess." He stepped on to his bed and looked the portrait in the eye. "Um, could we go to Hogsmeade?" he asked the picture. The girl smiled at him and the portrait swung open as it did the last time. Neville stepped in fairly gingerly, though Hannah and Seamus hesitated. Neville grabbed the torch and turned back to them. "Come on. There's stairs, it's not bad at all."

"Sure. We'll just walk into the secret hole in the wall," Seamus said. Yet as he spoke he stepped up into the hole with Hannah right behind him. Neville led the way and a few moments later they were stepping into the Hog's Head. It was late, but the barman's voice drifted up to them.

"Is he talking to someone?" Hannah asked.

"Probably his goat." Hannah and Seamus both gave him strange looks but Neville just started walking to the door. He walked about halfway down the stairs before calling out. "Hello? It's me again."

"The boy from the school?" the barman's voice called back. "Ariana ask you here again?"

"No," Neville said. "I came myself. I wanted to talk to you." By now the three of them had come down to the tavern proper. Aberforth and his goat were sitting at one of the tables by the door, looking at the window.

"Brought a lady with you," Aberforth said before looking back out the window. "What do you need?"

"Food," Neville said. "There's a few more of us in the Room now and it can't make food."

"Law of something. Right." Aberforth looked back towards them and stood up. "Might be I have some food for you." He walked back behind the bar. "How many, you said?"

"There's five of us."

"Five?" The barman seemed impressed. "You starting an army?"

"Something like that," Neville grinned. The barman gave him a strange look before walking into a back room. He emerged a few minutes later with several paper bags filled with food. "The cook's not bad. You can just put the bags by a flame. I enchanted the bags so they won't catch fire."

"Alright," Neville said. They took a seat by the fire and the barman sat by the window.

"Don't imagine you've been into town much," the barman said. "It's changed. Dementors and Death Eaters roaming the streets, day and night." He shook his head and looked back to them. "Lot of folks unhappy about that."

"We don't like our situation much either," Hannah said.

"No. I expect that's why you do what you do." The barman looked away. "We hear some about what happens up there. The teachers come in and tell us sometimes. Calling yourselves 'Dumbledore's Army.'"

"That's right," Neville said.

"If you keep building your army, I'm not going to be able to feed you off scraps from my table. But," he went on, "I can have a talk with Rosemerta. See if we can't organize something for you with the townsfolk."

Neville's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I thought you didn't want to be in any more fights?"

"You remind me of my brother," the barman said, "just a little. Just in that you both want to make things better." The barman rubbed his chin. "I don't think you'd make his mistakes though."

"Even if it's for the greater good?" Neville questioned.

"I think that meant something very different for him than it does for you," the barman returned with a slight nod.

"That's good then."

"Alright, food's probably warm by now," the barman said abruptly. "Keep me posted on how many people you have and I'll see what I can do for you."

"Sure," Neville said, taking the food. "I don't even know how to thank you."

"Give Snape a good thrashing for me," the barman said with a smirk that seemed a little sad.

"Of course." Hannah, Seamus, and Neville went back upstairs. The portrait of Ariana opened up as soon as they walked in the room.

"Does he remind you of anyone?" Hannah asked as they walked back to the castle.

"Aberforth?" Neville asked. "Not really." Seamus was also shaking his head.

"I think he reminds me a little of Dumbledore," Hannah said.

Neville actually stopped and turned back to her. "Dumbledore? Really?"

"It's just a thought," Hannah said with a shrug.

Neville started moving again. "Well, I don't see it."

.

Over the next few days, more and more students began joining them in the Room of Requirement. Many of them only intended to just stop in and check on their friends, but then just never left. Aberforth was as good as his word and by the time the entire DA was living in Room, Neville was making two trips a day down to the Hog's Head for food. The Room did its best to accommodate everyone, though a few people were sleeping in hastily strung hammocks in corners.

The atmosphere at Hogwarts became more and more volatile. The Carrows and the Slytherins seemed to have an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude toward the DA. As more and more members stopped showing up for classes, they became more and more brutal with the remaining students. As a result, the DA had to become more active in defending other students from the bullying of the Slytherins. This only angered the Slytherins, and soon it was not unusual for there to be three of four small skirmishes a day between the two groups.

Neville wanted to do more than just react, but he held himself back. The DA were better organized than their Slytherin counterparts, but they lacked any "heavy hitters," so to speak, that could match Snape or the Carrows. If the teachers got involved, they might stand a chance at really kicking all the Death Eaters and their ilk from Hogwarts… and then what? Voldemort wouldn't let something like that stand, and they couldn't stand up to him if he really decided to take the school back. Not without lots of help. And then yet another problem presented itself.

"Year's close to done," Seamus said one night as they settled down for bed.

"I know," Neville said. "It's, what, another week?"

"Something like that," Seamus grinned. "I'm not really sure what day it is when I don't have to worry about class." The grin faded and he cleared his throat. "I'm wondering, though, what we're going to do when the year's over."

"Oh." Neville hadn't really thought about it.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm good with staying here for as long as we can," Seamus said, "but I'm sure some of the younger kids, at least, will want to go home. And if they put someone smarter than Amycus Carrow on it, they'll find some way in here eventually."

"We'll sort it out. Get everyone's ideas tomorrow." Neville tried to sound confidant, but he was quite worried. When the castle emptied in the summer, Snape and the Carrows wouldn't have to hold themselves back. Neville didn't think they could break into the Room… but what if they literally tore the castle apart?

As Neville lay back in his bed, he realized what he'd been waiting on: Harry. They hadn't heard anything from him on Potterwatch in some time. He figured Harry was working on defeating Voldemort in his own way, but Neville knew Harry wasn't going to just leave them stranded. He must have heard a little about what had been going on. It was a little troubling that he hadn't even gotten word to them. Neville didn't expect Harry to drop into his lap or anything, but a something to let everyone know what was going on would have been nice. But then again, Harry was on the run, probably trying t stay alive. Writing letters may not be too high on his list of priorities.

Neville heard a tapping familiar tapping and looked up at Ariana's portrait. It was after dinner, so Neville couldn't imagine what she wanted. He got up on his bed as the portrait opened.

"I'll be right back," he told Seamus as he started off toward the Hog's Head.

Author's Note: Well, that about wraps up the story. I've got a short epilogue and a coda planned, but they're about three pages total. It's been a long journey for me since I started writing this story some two (or more?) years ago in a notebook in class one day. I've had a lot of fun with it, but I did learn that I'm (probably) not going to ever write something this long again. I enjoyed writing the story and think it came out well. Those of you that have written reviews have all been positive, and I thank you all.

I don't have to tell you that I worked at a pretty slow pace. Writing is one of my major passions, but I do lots of other things, and writing a fanfic wasn't always a top priority. I never gave up on it, though, and for those of you that have stuck around since the beginning… well I doubt the wait was totally worth it, but I hope you weren't entirely disappointed either.

I would also like to thank my VERY patient beta, who's real name I do not know, but has been invaluable to me these past years.

I have a number of other projects I'm going to start working on pretty soon, some HP related, some not. Nothing as long as this though. For now, all I will say for sure is that Neville Longbottom WILL return in….

Harry Potter and the Last Death Eater


	31. Coda

Coda

.

Neville had collapsed from exhaustion the moment the festivities died down. He was sitting in the entrance hall, staring up at the ceiling. He was more tired that he had ever been in his life, but it was over. Not just the battle, but the whole hellish year. He tilted his head back a little more to rest it against the wall and almost fell asleep.

Some people were starting to clear the Great Hall of the debris of the battle and make sure all the Death Eaters were either secured or dead. Neville wasn't sure how he felt, beyond just tired. Voldemort was dead. Bellatrix was dead. He wasn't exactly happy at either of those thoughts, but it somehow did make the world seem… better. Less horrible. Yet the cost had been high. Colin Creevy and Fred Weasley were both dead. It was hard for Neville to even get his head around that, even though he'd seen the bodies. Fred had always seems so full of life and Colin was so young. Well, he was really only a year younger than Neville himself, and he'd done some growing up, but some part of Neville never stopped seeing the eager little boy with the camera.

Yet it could have been so much worse. He didn't know the full casualty list, but he knew they weren't as bad as he'd feared. Seamus had been hurt again and his limp had come back worse than before. Terry Boot had actually lost an arm, though Madame Pomfrey thought she might be able to reattach it. Everyone else from the DA only had minor injuries. There was really only one person he wasn't sure about.

"Neville." Neville's eyes jerked open and he saw Harry standing above him.

"Harry." He smiled and got to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

"More or less," Neville said. "More tired than I've been in my life, but I'm not hurt." Harry glanced down at Neville legs, arms, and chest which did have a fair bit of blood from various small cuts, but none of them were serious. "Do you know what happened to Snape? Did he get away? I don't think I saw him."

Harry's expression changed into something Neville couldn't quite read. "He's dead, Neville. Voldemort killed him."

"Oh." Neville wasn't sure what answer he'd been expecting, but that wasn't it. "Good."

Harry was silent for a moment. "Come with me." He started walking toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?" Neville asked as he started following.

"Dumbledore's office. I think there's something you should see."


	32. Epilogue

Epilogue and Coda

A few hours earlier…

.

Severus Snape sat alone in his office, woring over a few last papers. That was the on thing he never quit got used to, all the paperwork. Dumbledore had made it look effortless, but he'd been doing for the last thirty years or so. In truth, it probably wasn't really all that bad, but the monotony of it had started to wear on his mind, and having a sharp mind had been more important than ever.

"You have done well, Severus."

Snape did not look up. He knew who had spoken. "I'm aware of that." Snape set down his quill. "What is it?"

"Just a feeling that it will be over soon." The voice came from the wall, above him.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean." The portrait took a deep breath. Out of habit, Snape supposed. "The time of your long charade is almost over, Severus."

"I… had a feeling as well," Snape said. To any observer, both his face and his mind would appear perfectly impassive.

"I just wanted to make sure I told you that you have done an excellent job," the portrait repeated.

"Had some doubts, did you?" Snape said. "Weren't sure how I would do without you watching over my shoulder?"

"In a manner of speaking," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "I am glad to see I was right about you, Severus. I could not have hoped for a better friend and confidant. You have performed your task perfectly." If Snape felt anything at this remarks, he made no sign. "Indeed, you have done a marvelous job getting everyone to hate you. Though I daresay you may have enjoyed it a bit much." Snape's only response was the ghost of a smile before picking his quill back up.

A few minutes later a young girl ran into Dumbledore's portrait and whispered something in his ear. Snape had no idea who the girl was, and Dumbledore always pretended to sleep when Snape asked about her.

"He's here, Severus," Dumbledore said. Snape set down his quill. "Severus?"

"I heard," Snape said, standing up. "I am ready."

"Good. Oh, don't forget to change the password on your way out."

Snape stopped with a hand on the door. "What? Why?"

"In case Harry needs to get in here."

"What would Potter possibly need from this office?"

Dumbledore was pretending to sleep again. Snape snorted and left the office.


End file.
